This morning I read Psalm 142. You read it too and then let’s talk.

¹ I cry aloud to the LORD;
I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy.

² I pour out my complaint before him;
before him I tell my trouble.

³ When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who know my way.
In the path where I walk
men have hidden a snare for me.

⁴ Look to my right and see;
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life.

⁵ I cry to you, O LORD;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”

⁶ Listen to my cry,
for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.

⁷ Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me.

A few things stuck out to me:

• David wrote this song/poem as he was hiding in a cave. He was being chased by his one-time friend and the king of Israel, Saul, who now hated him. David felt betrayed.
• David put his “junk” on the table – v. 2 = “I pour out my complaint before [the Lord]; I tell Him my trouble.” (see v.6 too)
• David realized that very possibly “no one is concerned for me”, YET he said to God, “You know my way” (v.3)
• David didn’t lose hope. Even though he was scared and lonely he knew that someday, “the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me” (v. 7).

I know how it feels to be scared and lonely. Multiple times throughout my life, both before and after Christ, I have been scared and lonely.

David’s cry of desperation and his simultaneous optimism are refreshing! Often I see people being one or the other. Scared, lonely people often are completely desperate and thus perpetuate their fear and desolation, OR they are artificially optimistic and put up a “smoke screen” that’s fairly easy to see through.

David was desperate yet optimistic. His desperation flowed from his circumstances, but his optimism flowed from his confidence in God.

If you’re scared and lonely, don’t run from the fact that you’re scared and lonely. Put it on the table. Pray to God. Tell Him these things and then continue living and expecting His goodness towards you which will be evidenced by a circle of friends.

Let’s talk.

Have you ever had an experience(s) in which you were scared and lonely?

How did you respond?

What did you learn from that experience?

FINALLY, are you scared and lonely right now? If so, how can I pray for you? e-mail me to let me know privately how I can pray for you (click on the “click here to e-mail me” link on the left side of my blog).