Scripture to Read: Psalm 142:5
Even though we are taking one verse a day as we walk through Psalm 142, we know this is one continuous prayer from David to our Lord. Still, as we examine each verse, God is teaching us how we must trust Him even when things seem the worst. What God gives us today, though, is some encouragement as He had David write in Psalm 142:5, “I cried out to You, O Lord; I said, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” As David cried out to the Lord, we’re reminded that God is our refuge (shelter, protection, safety, security, hiding place). David knew that the Lord was the only one He could count on. Though God had sent David help (1 Samuel 22:1–2), as we saw in yesterday’s devotion, we’re not sure when the 400 showed up. There will be times in our lives when we feel alone and that no one cares. If we’re not careful, these kinds of feelings can land us in a deep state of depression. God never wants us to be despondent (disheartened, discouraged, downhearted, hopeless, downcast), thinking we have no one. God, through our Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit in us, has given us Himself to overcome those feelings of hopelessness. David knew, and we must continually remind ourselves, that God is our portion, our inheritance, and that through Him, we have reason to rejoice—that’s why our Lord tells us in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” We always have reason to rejoice.
Challenge & Application
· What did you learn from our Lord today about overcoming feelings of hopelessness?
· How could you help someone else going through a hard time in their life?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!