April 7, 2022

Psalm 142: 4 (NIV)

Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.

You can keep complaining or you can take God’s hand and step into the new life he has for you.*

In the heading of this Psalm, we are told that this is a prayer of David – when he was “in the cave.” In the scriptural accounts of David’s experiences in a cave, we never read that he was alone or friendless. In I Samuel 22, we read about David’s escape to the cave of Abdullam where his family joined him to show their support; he attracted a following of those who were on the fringes of society; and he had about 400 men there with him.  On another occasion, David and his men were hiding in the back of a cave and witnessed King Saul in what the king thought was a private moment.

So perhaps David was not referring to an actual cave but to a figurative "pit of despair." In his honest expression of self-pity, we can see ourselves. Sometimes we just feel lonely and powerless and we need a moment to wallow in it. We can’t look at David's circumstances and think that he had nothing to feel depressed about. He was being hunted down like a game animal. Saul, the king who used to be soothed by David's music, wanted him dead. David has been anointed as the next king but he is not living like a king.

But after he has his “moment,” David’s despair begins to fade. He has freely admitted his feelings to God. His next step is to ask God to deliver him: “Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name.” (Verse 7a) And already he is able to find the hope in his situation: “Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.” (Verse 7b)

We can follow David’s example when our lives are looking bleak and hopeless. Don’t be afraid to tell God how you feel. Pour out to him. He won’t belittle you for your pettiness, short-sightedness, or faithlessness. Then ask God to deliver you – not just from your circumstances but from your pettiness, short-sightedness, and faithlessness. Then he will show you how you can find hope in the midst of troubles.

Jesus’ followers aren’t immune to arthritis and Alzheimer’s, colds and cancer, depression and death – but we face them with hope. We encounter the same stressful challenges common to the rest of humanity. We suffer, but not alone.*