Psalms Chapter 142 |
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Psalms 142
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Psalm 142 (NKJV)
A Contemplation[a] of David. A Prayer when he was in the cave.
1 I cry out to the LORD with my voice;
With my voice to the LORD I make my supplication.
2 I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare before Him my trouble.
This version translates the Hebrew verses as speaking in the present tense whereas the original is actually in the future.
We should pray to God and ask HIM to help us.
A Jewish group known as Bratslaver Hasidim have the practice of going off to a forest or isolated field etc (sometimes in the middle of the night) and literally shouting out their requests to the Almighty. Sometimes the isolated spots they choose turn out to be not so isolated as they thought and they end up spending the night in jail!
Nevertheless the method works.
We do not have tobe as extreme or as enthusiastic as the Bratslaver Hasidim but we can still pray. We just have to enunciate our needs to the Almighty along with expressions of gratitude and praise.
In the same way as a person goes over different things in their own mind they may also go over them before God and ask HIM to guide us.
3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,
Then You knew my path.
In the way in which I walk
They have secretly set a snare for me.
Sometimes the powers of adversity seem to overwhelm us. When we are really down we should search to find God. We should also realize that at such moments we are also vulnerable. Wicked people are liable to attempt to exploit our moment of weakness and faltering. They set traps for us whether to hurt us directly or to entice us to become more like them and lower our standards to their own.
4 Look on my right hand and see,
For there is no one who acknowledges me;
Refuge has failed me;
No one cares for my soul.
Sometimes things really do get bad. We should not delude ourselves and suppose we have friends or acquaintances who will help us if we need it. It happens that they will not be there and in our subconscious we already feel this.
5 I cried out to You, O LORD:
I said, "You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.
God will help us. Our relationship with the Almighty is what can keep us going.
6 Attend to my cry,
For I am brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are stronger than I.
When the enemy is stronger than we are we must realize it, own up to it, and ask the Almighty to stand up for us.
Enemy in this case may mean not only a physical human being but also all the forces of negativity that sometimes seem to gang up on us all at once.
7 Bring my soul out of prison,
That I may praise Your name;
The righteous shall surround me,
For You shall deal bountifully with me."
The word for "My soul" here is "nafshi" which also connotes the physical being, the mind, and mental state. We may find ourselves locked in a trap, in a groove of defeat we cannot shake off. We ask God to help us not only at the psychological level but also at the physical one.
Physical well-being can often help us along the correct spiritual path.
Creature comforts used wisely can assist to think positively and connect to God.
We should endeavor to be healthy in order to be able to serve God properly.
Psalms Chapter 142 |
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