“DELIVER ME…SO THAT…”
Psalm 142:7 – Bring My Soul Out Of Prison {Deliver me}
“Bring my soul out of prison, So that I Will give thanks to Your name; The righteous will surround me, For You will deal bountifully with me.” -Psalm 142:7
- – KNOW WHOM YOU ARE TALKING TO;
David in the cave, hiding from Saul and his murderous band of men who have one agenda-Kill David! David, in the cave was under great external pressure which was causing him inward fainting of heart, “Overwhelmed,” which means to cover in darkness implying to faint or to “black out.” No vigor left, no energy, exhausted. He cries from deep, deep pain, difficulties without and depression within. In a cave, abandoned, all alone and he could see no way out, and then he remembers, THE LORD is his Master, He is his Refuge of safety, and Portion- his satisfaction and sustenance. This Psalm is so, so personal, he bears his soul, his cry of faith in v 1 to the LORD, the darkness of his soul and then a glimpse, a light of hope begins to appear at the bottom, the crack at the bottom of a door to his heart as he reflects on the LORD’S character. And there is hope beginning to arise. David ends this Psalm with a request for the LORD to bring him out of the spiritual dark place he was in. The cave, no doubt, the darkness of soul as well. But he wanted out of “the cave.” The word “prison,” is here used figuratively for distress. Verse 6 reveals he was surrounded by foes, enemies and so in this hard, difficult place he PRAYS. He cries out to the LORD!
David address the ONE who has the POWER to BRING him out of the despair and out of the Cave. KNOW WHOM YOU ARE TALKING TO. Ask Him to do what only He can do “BRING YOU OUT OF PRISON”
- – KNOW WHY YOU ARE ASKING HIM TO BRING YOU OUT;
Here is where we see the CLARITY of faith. He knew what he wanted and he knew Why, he is asking for deliverance. Here is faith in action under pressure. Here is a mature faith not developed in the Ivory tower but in the CAVE. It is based on WHOM He is speaking to. It is Based on his REMEMBRANCE of what the LORD has done previously. As a shepherd boy he killed Goliath, He knows Whom He believes in. But note he is not asking deliverance because it sure would feel better. He doesn’t ask for deliverance as the end but as a means to an end! What was his end? “SO THAT…” Here he makes full disclosure, why he wanted his soul rescued from this difficult place. “SO THAT…”I WILL”- let there be no doubt or hesitancy, but know for certainty “I WILL” do something. What is it then David that you are so deliberate and committed to that you would be thoughtful, deliberate, determined what you will do?
HERE IS DEEP FAITH EXERCISED IN THE FURNACE OF AFFLICTION;
“BRING ME OUT {DELIVER ME} …”
THE EYE OF FAITH; “SO THAT…”-{Gives the reason, the explanation}
- – “SO THAT…I WILL GIVE THANKS {Praise} TO YOUR NAME.”- Before Your people! Your Name, Your Character- You LORD- will be the focus of my thanks, praise in the midst of public worship!
- – “SO THAT… THEN THE RIGHTEOUS WILL GATHER ABOUT ME – BECAUSE OF YOUR GOODNESS TO ME.” The righteous shall surround him as a crown which is what the word signifies. They will look in awe at what God has done of His grace and mercy and power to deliver and preserve, God will be glorified! They will come close to him as a result of God’s favor and His GOODNESS. God’s goodness in delivering will cause others to come and see!!! David will be a TESTIMONY To the Goodness of the LORD! How wonderful we too are recipients of the Goodness of the LORD. Paul wrote “it is the GOODNESS of the LORD that leads to repentance.”{Rom 2:4}
The words, “SO THAT…” Show us the explanation and his MOTIVATION in asking the LORD to bring him out of the cave! The words, “I WILL” Show us his DETERMINATION!
YOUR MOTIVATION FOR HIM BRINGING YOU OUT OF YOUR CAVE IS – HIS GLORY! His TESTIMONY- would be To THE LORD! So often He is an “add on,” a secondary thought in too many of our “TESTIMONIES.” It is to be all about HIM!
So often, we want deliverance, for deliverance sake, but here is a faith that is focused not in self preservation but in God EXALTATION from the deliverance, the goal! YOUR DETERMINATION FOR HIM BRINGING YOU OUT OF YOUR CAVE IS to be- HIS GLORY!
Davids’s Prayer and Desire; Deliver me so I may publicly thank and praise God. Deliver me “SO THAT,” others will see YOUR Goodness to me! His Desire is that others recognize and see and Praise… the LORD!His is a God centered Desire and prayer. He ends with the LORD’S Fame been his desire. His own difficulties are a means for the LORD to exercise His goodness and draw others through David to Himself!
“DELIVER ME- BRING ME OUT.” – Its’ not deliverance for deliverance sake, which would be my cry. BUT Look at the eye of God centered faith– keeps its focus on its responsibility to Magnify he LORD. How? I WILL TESTIFY OF YOU
A. – I WILL PUBLICLY -Thank, Praise YOU!
B.- YOUR PEOPLE WILL GATHER AROUND AND KNOW, SEE – YOUR GOODNESS to Me! The righteous will gather around me and know YOUR GOODNESS TO me. THE DELIVERANCE IS ALL ABOUT YOU LORD, AND TESTIFYING TO OTHERS ABOUT HIM
“BRING ME OUT…” – The asking of faith. “Bring me out,” The Purpose- “So that”… YOU ARE MAGNIFIED! The First 4 letters in Testimony are T-E-S-T. Your Cave, your TEST is the beginning of your TESTIMONY To others of Him.
KNOW WHOM YOU ARE TALKING TO
KNOW WHY YOU ARE ASKING FOR DELIVERANCE
* GOD SOMETIMES DEVELOPS FAITH IN A CAVE,…THEN DISPLAYS THAT FAITH TO OTHERS THROUGH PEOPLE LIKE YOU, THAT CAUSE OTHERS TO… HEAR OF AND…LOOK BY FAITH, TO HIM!
As God used David’s experience to benefit others, so too your Cave can be an opportunity by Him through you to help others who also will go through some tough times… you can not only identify but EMPATHIZE with them, and MAGNIFY HIM!
NOTICE- David ASCENDS in his attitude and from the cave, overwhelmed, to a change… HIS Character, HIS GLORY his AIM… Faith nurtured, pruned, developed, deeper and deeper until the AIM is crystal clear- EXALTING HIM- THE LORD OF GLORY
“DELIVER ME…SO THAT,”