Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.
Now that you have read portions of almost all of the Book of Psalms, I’m sure you can see that David, who wrote more psalms than anyone else, was a person through whom deep emotions ran. In many ways, David teaches us through his psalms how to manage our emotions.
In Psalm 142, David feels overwhelmed, and in our scripture for today, he cries out to God, saying that he is in desperate need. He is hiding in a cave because King Saul wants to kill him, and he knows that King Saul and his troops are too strong for him.
His response to his feelings of depression and being “wrapped in darkness” (Psalm 142:3 AMP) was not to meditate on his problem. Instead, he dealt with his problem in this psalm by choosing to cry out to the Lord, his refuge and portion in the land of the living (v. 5). In other words, he thought about the Lord, his Deliverer, and it helped him to overcome desperation.
Perhaps you are in a desperate situation today. You may feel, as David did, that your enemies are too strong for you. Your enemies may not be people; they may be situations that cause you to feel alone, overwhelmed, depressed, frustrated, or confused. Whatever your circumstances, the same God who heard David’s cry will hear you when you cry out to Him.
Prayer of the Day: Lord, teach me to manage my emotions. When my feelings are deep and intense, help me to cry out to You.
