Psalm 143:1-6 "Hear my prayer, O LORD,
give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy
righteousness. (2) And enter not into judgment with thy servant:
for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. (3) For the
enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he
hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
(4) Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within
me is desolate. (5) I remember the days of old; I meditate on all
thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands. (6) I stretch forth my
hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah."
The Psalms remind us over and over of the goodness and faithfulness of God. When everything in our life is in order, we cry with gladness, "God is great! God is good!" But sometimes, when things of life begin to overtake us, we begin to wonder where God has gone. We could easily think God has forsaken us and left us in the middle of our struggle to fend for ourselves. Can I tell you that Satan is the author of those thoughts? Satan wants us to think and even attempt to "fend for ourselves." God tells us over and over that He is our shield and He is our buckler. Remember the swashbucklers of old? The ones who would come to your assistance with their swords drawn and ready to help you in your battle? I'm thinking of the Three Musketeers. God is the One Who comes to our aid in the middle of our struggles. Do not allow Satan rob you of the joy of knowing that God will not put more on you than you are able to withstand.
David is at that place of almost turning away. You can almost hear his desperation as he cries out, "Hear my prayer, O LORD." Again, I want to say that the enemy is not always "someone"; rather, oftentimes the enemy is an emotion, or emotions, that begin to well up inside us. Lonesomeness, helplessness, hopelessness, and those lead to anger and anxiety which too often lead us down the path of wrong thinking toward God. Let me remind each of us just now: God is faithful to His promises.
When I find myself in a place of loneliness or a place of feeling overwhelmed, I have found that it truly helps to just stop and have an honest conversation with the Lord. Just as David did in these verses. "Lord, I feel overwhelmed. I feel alone. I feel there is not hope. I feel anger and anxiety. But Lord, I know you are true to your promises. I know you have said you will allow no more to come upon us than that we are able to endure. But Lord, I feel I am at a breaking point. I want to take time to think about you and your works. Lord, I need you. I don't know what to do. I need you. I stretch my hands to you as a child to his parents. Help me Lord. I'm thirsty and dry. I need your help."
Won't you join David in truly, sincerely, honestly seeking the help of the Lord in whatever your situation?
The Psalms remind us over and over of the goodness and faithfulness of God. When everything in our life is in order, we cry with gladness, "God is great! God is good!" But sometimes, when things of life begin to overtake us, we begin to wonder where God has gone. We could easily think God has forsaken us and left us in the middle of our struggle to fend for ourselves. Can I tell you that Satan is the author of those thoughts? Satan wants us to think and even attempt to "fend for ourselves." God tells us over and over that He is our shield and He is our buckler. Remember the swashbucklers of old? The ones who would come to your assistance with their swords drawn and ready to help you in your battle? I'm thinking of the Three Musketeers. God is the One Who comes to our aid in the middle of our struggles. Do not allow Satan rob you of the joy of knowing that God will not put more on you than you are able to withstand.
David is at that place of almost turning away. You can almost hear his desperation as he cries out, "Hear my prayer, O LORD." Again, I want to say that the enemy is not always "someone"; rather, oftentimes the enemy is an emotion, or emotions, that begin to well up inside us. Lonesomeness, helplessness, hopelessness, and those lead to anger and anxiety which too often lead us down the path of wrong thinking toward God. Let me remind each of us just now: God is faithful to His promises.
When I find myself in a place of loneliness or a place of feeling overwhelmed, I have found that it truly helps to just stop and have an honest conversation with the Lord. Just as David did in these verses. "Lord, I feel overwhelmed. I feel alone. I feel there is not hope. I feel anger and anxiety. But Lord, I know you are true to your promises. I know you have said you will allow no more to come upon us than that we are able to endure. But Lord, I feel I am at a breaking point. I want to take time to think about you and your works. Lord, I need you. I don't know what to do. I need you. I stretch my hands to you as a child to his parents. Help me Lord. I'm thirsty and dry. I need your help."
Won't you join David in truly, sincerely, honestly seeking the help of the Lord in whatever your situation?