The Daily Devocast brings you daily encouragement from God’s word. Today’s devotional message God Sees Me in the Dark Place is based on Psalm 142:1-4.
1 I cry aloud with my voice to the Lord; I make supplication with my voice to the Lord.
2 I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him.
3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, You knew my path. In the way where I walk. They have hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see; For there is no one who regards me; There is no escape for me; No one cares for my soul.
(New American Standard Bible, Psalm 142:1-4)
When we read Psalm 142:1-4, it’s obvious that David is not in a good way, but really how bad off is he? If we consult a few of the cross-references attached to this Psalm, we learn that David is on the run from Saul. Initially, he had sought refuge from Achish king of Gath, whom the Bible says David feared in (1Sam 21:12), so David quickly departs from Gath as well.
So where did David go after Gath? He ends up at the Cave of Adullam that we read about in 1 Samuel 22. That means this Psalm was likely uttered in the dark confines of a cave. With that as our backdrop, these verses really begin to come to life.
Verse 1 says that David made supplication with his voice to the Lord. I know the word supplication probably doesn’t come up a lot for you in daily conversation, so let’s take a look at its meaning. Supplication means the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly, so I think it’s reasonable for us to picture David on his knees crying out to the Lord.
Verse 3 says that David’s spirit was overwhelmed within him. The Hebrew word that is translated as overwhelmed in the NASB carries the meaning of being faint, feeble, and weak. So we have David on the run, hiding out in a cave, overwhelmed to the point of fainting, calling out to the Lord for help with those who are out to get him.
Can you relate to David’s feeling of despair over his circumstances? Are you in a dark place, feeling like the enemy has set traps all around you? It’s time to leave behind your despair, taking a cue from David’s playbook and make supplication to the Lord.
Prayer: Father, like David, we have dark and scary places in our lives. Many of these leave us feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next. We call on you as our refuge and our deliverer to lead us on the path that will bring us into your presence, where there is light, hope, healing, and peace. Amen.
Action Step: I’m confident that during today’s devotional and prayer reading, for many of you God highlighted an area of your life that feels dark and at times hopeless. My encouragement for you today is to seek out a trusted friend or family member that you can share this with and ask them to join you in making supplication to the Lord, seeking a way forward.
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