Psalm 142:1-7
“I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.”
Introduction: Question… Have you ever been in trouble? Have you ever needed a refuge? David found himself in that predicament. Speaking of trouble, John Phillips has calculated that Saul tried to kill David about 9 different times. What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Where do you turn when you don’t know where to turn? In Psalm 142, an instructional teaching, David describes four (4) steps to finding a REFUGE and PEACE during a difficult time:
1. David “LOOKED IN” for a Refuge! (Psa 142:1-3)
“I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. 2I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. 3When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.”
{The word “overwhelmed” is âṭaph, which means to “faint, grow weak”…. Truthfully, sometimes we get overwhelmed – get weak, feel like fainting – anybody know what I’m talking about???}
{Trials of faith and troubles in life have a way of causing us to cry out to God}
* Do you need to cry out to God today?
2. David “LOOKED OUT” for a Refuge! (Psa 142:4)
“I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.”
{Sometimes like David, we look to others for help only to be disappointed}
{Jesus knows us, loves us, and can fix us}
3. David “LOOKED UP” for a Refuge! (Psa 142:5)
“I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.”
{The word “cried” is zâ‛aq. According to Strong’s, it means to “shriek from anguish or danger”}
{The word “Refuge” is machăseh, machseh ,which means place of HOPE, shelter}
Praise the Lord, we can run to Jesus who is our “STRONG TOWER” a very present help in trouble!
“The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” (Prov. 18:10)
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psa 46:1)
4. David “LOOKED AROUND” to show others a Refuge! (Psa 142:7)
“Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.”
{The word “Praise” is yadah, which means to give thanks}
Let’s face it, it is easy to “Give thanks” when things are going good, but it is all together different when things are not going good.
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thess 5:18)
Conclusion: What is your testimony? Hard times bring out the “BEST” of Faith because of the “TEST of Faith,” which results in the “REST of Faith”! So our lesson from this passage of Scripture is to “LOOK in” for a Refuge; “LOOK out” for a Refuge; “LOOK up for a Refuge; and finally “LOOK around” to show others a Refuge.
Do you need a REFUGE? We have one in Jesus!
Love y’all,
Dr. Randy Reese
