Day 8 - Advent Morning Minute VERSES: Psalm 142 I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way. In the path where I walk people have hidden a snare for me. Look and see, there is no one at my right hand; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life. I cry to you, Lord; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. 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. KEY THOUGHT: Have you ever felt backed into a corner and have no where else to go? Have you ever felt like no understands what you are going through? Worse yet…no one cares? Welcome to David’s world. In this short Psalm we read David’s guttural cries to God for relief from his enemies. I picture David exhausted, dirty, cold, hungry, beat up from being on the run and literally hiding in the dark recess of some nondescript cave. And I imagine he’s running that scene in his head where Samuel anoints him to be the next King of Israel and wondering if that was some cruel joke. It’s in that moment that he cries out to God. Sorry…he complains to God about his current condition. His complaint is familiar: Everyone is against him. There’s no place for him to escape. It seems like no one cares. Odds are you’ve had one of those sessions with God. And maybe like David you’ve found comfort in sharing your distress with the only one who truly understands. David pleads with God to come to his rescue and not waste any time in doing so. He’s at the end of his rope. His enemies and distress are tipping the scales and he needs God to tip them back in his favor. And so he prays this expectant prayer saying, Lord WHEN (not if) you rescue me I will praise your name. David new God had the power and ability to set things right. He was just wondering when He was going to do it. It’s as if as David breathes his troubles out he inhales peace in. And sometimes that all we need to do. In our seasons of distress it’s OK to let God know how we feel. He truly cares. 1 Peter 5:7 says to “Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.” Don’t think you have to hold everything together and never wonder where God is in your current situation. That’s crazy! It’s natural to not want to endure the crucible of change and refinement. So lift your cares to Him and feel peace enter your situation as you wait for God to make things right in your life. PRAYER: Dear God, allow me to pour out my pain to you and trust that you will always lead me to do your will. I know you have a plan and you never waste a single hurt. As I wait for you for you to reveal your plan and set me on the right course, give me the confidence to daily trust you. And Father, when You do set things right, I will give You all the credit and praise You deserve. To receive these Advent devotionals via email, sign up here: bit.ly/ccadventsignup
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 11:31:24 +0000
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