Skip to main content

Daily Devotion: Psalm 142:1

By

Psalm 142:1     "I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication."

This Psalm is titled, "Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave." The word, maschil, means it is a poem of instruction or to give information.  As a quick reminder, David and his men had hidden in a cave from King Saul who was trying to kill David. As they were in the cave, suddenly Saul and his army came into the cave. Saul's army was at the mouth of the cave. David and his army were in the back of the cave. Apparently it was a very large cave for Saul did not know David's army was also in that cave.  David's men tried to get David to kill Saul while he slept. David refused to kill the anointed king of Israel; rather, while Saul slept, David cut the hem of his robe. Afterwards, David felt guilty about doing this. You can find this account in 1 Samuel chapter 24.

Today's Psalm was written as a result of that night in the cave. By the title of the Psalm, we can see David giving instructions concerning this type situation. It isn't known if David prayed this prayer before Saul arrived, while the king was in the cave, or after it was over.  It seems David caved to the pressure of his men. Although he did not kill the king, he did show himself by cutting the hem of Saul's robe.  When David went against the bear, the lion, and the giant, he declared himself acting in the name of the Lord God of Israel. But in this account, we do not read David invoking the name of the Lord as he slipped upon Saul while he was sleeping. It almost seems this Psalm is written in the aftermath of his emotions. "And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt." (1 Samuel 24:5)  Peer pressure was present in the day of David as well as it is in our day.

As a result of David's feeling of guilt, we find today's text. "I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication."  The word, supplication, in this passage carries the meaning of seeking mercy and grace. It is the act of humbling oneself before the very presence of God and crying out for help.  I am so thankful that God has given to us the means whereby we are able to approach the very throne of God and there we can find mercy and grace to help in our time of need.  We should never be discouraged from seeking the blessings of the Lord, especially when we are brought low by our own actions.  He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Pay attention to that last phrase: "cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness."  Aren't you glad?  I surely am. 

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Daily Devotion: Enter With Thanksgiving - Psalm 100:1-5

By
One of the most beautiful Psalms of Thanksgiving is the 100th Psalm. Please turn to it and read verses one through five. With all my heart I believe we are a people and a nation that has truly been blessed by God. Of all those who “give thanks to Him and praise His name” we should be at the top!  It is not uncommon to compile wish lists at Christmas, and draw up a list of resolutions for the new year. But there is another list we often overlook - a Thanksgiving Day list of all for which we are thankful. What would your list contain? Most likely, a good part would be material possessions. I’m convinced that we would find that we have much more for which to be thankful than just our material possessions.  Like you, I’m sure my list would include the major things - life, health, family, friends, and the nation we live in, despite all its flaws. But even more than that, I’m thankful for my salvation, my Church family, and the mercy that God showers upon us each d...
Read more

Daily Devotion: An Important Question

By
In one of the great Psalms of thanksgiving, the writer asked a most pertinent question. “What shall I render unto the Lord for all of His benefits toward me” (Psalm 116:12) ? We may observe two elements in this question. The psalmist acknowledges having received many benefits, or blessings, at the hand of the Lord. For the believer, to be the receiver of blessings from the Lord is a fact beyond question. That is one facet of a proper perception of reality. However, for the unbeliever, or even for the nominal believer, such things come in the course of nature, or as a matter of deserving them. But to fail to see that such benefits and blessings come from the Lord is to lose touch with reality. The other element of the question is that the writer expresses a sense of obligation to the Lord and reveals a desire to do something in response to the amazing goodness of God to him. It is the reflex of the godly heart to desire to do something in response to the perceived go...
Read more