I would have
despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In
the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the LORD. Psalms 27:13-14
Troubles are just a part of life for everyone at some
point or another. That goes for
Christians as well. Sometimes when
trouble strikes, we forget we are Christians.
It may seep out through our behavior, words, or actions.
In the Bible, there are many
stories of David and the trials he experienced. The scriptures below are one instance in which
he is cornered in a cave by Saul who is looking to kill him. Here are some
things we can learn from David and how we as Christians can respond to troubled
times:
- Confess Your Present Need - I cry aloud
with my voice to the LORD; I make supplication with my voice to the LORD.
I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him.
Psalms 142:1-2 Confession involves acknowledging the
desperation of the situation as well as our role in it. Have you acknowledged
your problem to God? And your part
in it? David’s Spirit was in
darkness. David was inside a physical cave, but he was also in a spiritual
cave as well. He poured his heart
out at God's feet like a liquid.
Tears are the fluid that purges the spirit. The tongue is often the
vent of the heart even if it says nothing understandable. When you are cornered and alone, audibly
turn to God as your only ultimate resource.
- Trust In God's Providential
Care - When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, You knew my
path. In the way where I walk they have hidden a trap for me. Psalms 142:3
Just because I don't know where I am in life
does not mean God doesn't! You may find, as I have, that it was God who
put me where I am or with who I am for a divine purpose. God never leaves
us to the hand of chance or circumstance, but uses circumstances for His
purpose.
- Realize Your Dependence - 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. Psalms 142:4 Problems really get heavy when it seems that
no one else understands or cares. Loneliness comes when we realize that
one who has not been there cannot possibly understand and if they cannot
do that, how can they empathize?
- Recognize God's Complete
Provision – I cried out to You, O LORD; I said, "You are my
refuge, My portion in the land of the living Give heed to my cry, For I am
brought very low. Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are too strong
for me.” Psalms 142:5-6
Fellowship, Refuge, Supply, Hearing and Deliverance… God is everything and provides everything we need. David was abandoned by his friends but he knew that God was still there. David prays what he knows, and not what he feels at this time! He feels all alone! He feels that no one cares, but in spite of that he prays to the Lord what he knows! He declares, and proclaims that God is his refuge! - Praise God's Name - Bring
my soul out of prison, So that I may give thanks to Your name; The
righteous will surround me, For You will deal bountifully with me. Psalms
142:7 David shows a remarkable faith in God in spite of his
circumstances! He is alone now, but he believes that God will deliver him,
and that he will be able to worship again surrounded by the righteous
people of God! Faith is acting as if it is so, when it is not so, so it
can be so.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
