When I Was Overwhelmed

Psalm 142
A Prayer when David was in the cave.
-I so feel like I am in a cave today.

1 I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication.
2 I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.

-You know, you would think by now my first thought would be to cry out to God, but it wasn’t. I turned to people first and then my own abilities next.

3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path.

-I definitely am overwhelmed in my spirit this morning – or is it my soul that is overwhelmed? My feelings seem out of my control and overwhelming, as are the multitude of thoughts in my head, and those are the realm of the soul. Then again, I think the agony I feel comes from my spirit, which is warring against my flesh and mind to remind me of God’s Word and his truth.

In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.

-There is no person opposing me, just the hater of my soul who would like to take advantage of this weak and carnal moment to make me doubt the goodness of my God and the positive future He has promised me.

4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

-I have to admit, that is pretty much how I feel right now – friendless, although not like people hate me. I just have no companions to do anything with, and that makes me very sad.

5 I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.

-This makes me remember to stop at this moment in time and acknowledge that He is right here with me, and that this moment can be good if I focus on being in His presence, imagining sitting in his lap with His arms around me.

6 Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.

-But I need God’s strength to endure this barrage of negative thoughts and emotions and deliver me both from the attacks of the enemy as well as the bad mental habits I sometimes fall into.

7 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name:
the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

-Most of all, I need to be rescued from the feeling that my life is like a jail cell with no hope of things changing, that how I feel now is how I will always feel. I want to praise God for who he is and how he takes care of me. I want to be surrounded by Christian companions who will do recreational things with me. I want to have hope and believe that He WILL deal bountifully with me.

-How I feel now is NOT how I will always feel. I just need to endure this uncomfortable moment knowing this too shall pass.

Penny Haynes
http://ChristianWomenWithDepression.com