“…MY HEART IS OVERWHELMED…”- Psalm 142:3.
Sometimes there seems like there is no more fight left within us to go on any more. Times when there is nothing left, emotionally, physically, spiritually exhausted. On fumes. David hiding in a cave away from Saul and his army who had put all their effort and resources into one thing- kill David! David had been on the run and now in a cave he cries out to God and pours out his heart, he feels he has nothing left. Exhausted. “Overwhelmed.”
“When my spirit {fainted }] was overwhelmed within me,
You knew my path. In the way where I walk
They have hidden a trap for me.”
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– I AM OVERWHELMED!
Luther renders this, “When my spirit was in distress.” The Hebrew word rendered “overwhelmed” means, in Kal,
* TO COVER AS A GARMENT;
* then TO BE COVERED WITH DARKNESS, TROUBLE, SORROW and
* then TO LANGUISH,TO FAINT,TO BE FEEBLE. {Psalm 77: Psalm 107:5.}
The idea here is, that, in his troubles, he had no vigor, no life, no spirit. He did not see how he could escape from his troubles, and he had no heart to make an effort.”- Barnes.”
Boy, this describes my own battle with my muscle disease, I am so so tired, exhausted and feel I have no fight left in me and cannot make the effort to fight. Barnes quote,”… he had no vigor, no life… no heart to make an effort.” really spoke to my own condition.
David had no life left in him, nothing left in the tank, too tired to go on, no energy left to go on. It is like his heart was covered in darkness, depressed, despair, spiritually fainted. The external pressures without were causing David the problems within.
To look just at the circumstances can cause any of us to spiral down into that place David was, covered in darkness with sorrow, trouble and to have no courage to go on. To spiritually faint. What to do? How to get out of there if you are there? REMEMBER!!! REMEMBER!! REMEMBER!!
Remember what you have forgotten!!!:) Say what? Remember, follows up with this note of comfort,…
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– GOD KNOWS MY PATH
IT IS NOT JUST THAT God knows everyone’s path but specifically he is intimately acquainted with “MY Path.” He knows where you are, how you got there, where you are going. REMEMBER GOD KNOWS YOU. GOD IS INTIMATELY ACQUAINTED WITH YOU! REMEMBER GOD KNOWS!
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GOD KNOWS THE ENEMIES DEVICES
“They have laid a trap for me,” Their whole goal is to take David down like an animal and trap him, “BUT GOD…” knows all. It does not matter what traps the enemy places, God knows and David ends up with these three beautiful words
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REMEMBER THE LORD – v5 ” I cry to you, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” “
FEED Your soul on the TRUTH about God…. Who is…
- – “LORD”– The word speaks of Master, OWNER, Sovereign, King! Say no more! “THE LORD,” not Saul nor his henchmen are in authority. Saul has a little “k” in “king” the LORD is Capital “K” “King of Kings.” There is none above Him, none to compete alongside Him, for ALL are under His feet! REMEMBER THE LORD!
- – “REFUGE”– The LORD out of grace and mercy had at one time sat up several cities of “Refuge” in Israel, so that if someone had accidentally killed someone if they could get to one of those cities they would be SAFE,SECURE And could not be touched! But David uses this beautiful description of the LORD- It is not a Place, be it a city or a Cave But A PERSON- THE LORD HIMSELF Who is the place of SECURITY AND SAFETY for David-
* REMEMBER YOUR REFUGE – IS A PERSON NOT A PLACE
C.- “PORTION.”- The LORD was David’s PORTION- his PROVISION, his Sustenance and SATISFACTION. The LORD was all he needed, for in Him was all that he needed!
* REMEMBER YOUR PORTION! THE LORD IS !
Strength – inner strength comes only to the faint of heart when we cry out to Him pour out our heart, our troubles and then FOCUS ON WHO HE IS!!!
You too, like David, may know times when you are faint hearted , overwhelmed, in deep despair, no courage to go on and feeling all alone. REMEMBER THE LORD!
“Overwhelmed?”
REMEMBER The LORD knows! REMEMBER The LORD knows where you are, how you got there, where you are going. REMEMBER The LORD knows your enemies traps. REMEMBER The LORD knows and Cares.
YOU? REMEMBER THE LORD- YOUR REFUGE- YOUR PORTION!
FEED your soul on HIM…Think on His Character. TRUTH sets us free, builds us up and gives us hope, in the cave!
David TELLS his story- he writes it down and countless millions down the centuries have read the story of a man in a difficult, depressing place, who cries out to God. He remembers who He is and in his cry for deliverance, it is not deliverance for deliverance sake but that he may PROCLAIM HIM – Testify of Him to others…. and God has used him to testify to me, to you that He can be trusted in the hard times, the times that overwhelm us…. REMEMBER You too have a story to tell … YOU ARE A STORY…TESTIFY TO OTHERS OF HIM!