Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 3-010 Sunday 12 Jan 2003

Reading: Psalm 142 – WHEN NO ONE CARES

Recall a desperate, lonely time, and what happened to your prayer life during that period.

The title of the psalm locates David ‘in the cave’, apparently a reference to the time when Saul was pursuing him (l Sam 22:1). It is instructive to contrast the boisterous faith of Psalm 57 in the same circumstances, with the loud, plaintive cries of this psalm. Here, as always, the psalms are a mirror of the soul, reflecting the zigzags of mood, the roller-coaster of practical faith.

What mood-words and phrases dominate in the psalm? There are troubled thoughts and desperation inside him; but David is also being hunted (v 6) by his enemies. Is the prison the cave or his thoughts?

Observe the stepping stones by which David clambers cautiously to a steadier place. In verse 3a the emphasis is ‘it is you who know my way’. ‘Look to my right…’ in verse 4 refers to the position where a defending counsel might stand – but there is none! ‘My portion’ in verse 5 means, more informally, ‘all I need, my sufficiency here and now’.

Gradually David reaches a safer place; he is able to visualise praising God; he pictures himself vindicated, congratulated, perhaps even crowned (the verb in verse 7b echoes this idea); and the last phrase of the psalm could be translated ‘you do a complete work for me… defeating every foe, releasing every bondage, restoring to praise and fellowship.’*

Much of our prayer life is tame, formal and predictable. If we are out of sorts, we are tempted to wait for a better moment to formulate our prayers. The psalms of lament, cries in the wild weather remind us that we may shout and cry to God and remonstrate with him. Raw honesty means more to him than smooth words.

Lay up verse 3a in your memory and use it when you are tempted to lose heart, and your sense of God’s presence and guidance is weak.

* JA Motyer, NBCR, 21st century edition, IVP

– Howard Peskett

Copyright Scripture Union, 2003

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