Today we are in Psalm 142, another of David’s prayerful songs of lament.
Like all literature, the Bible must be understood in its own historical context and, in this psalm, we have a gift through the subscript found in the heading. The heading reads, “A maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer.”
We find two such occurrences in the 2nd book of Samuel, when David was in exile in a cave. In both instances, David is on the run from Saul, who had, without reason, made himself an enemy to David. It is about his experiences in one of these two caves that David wrote this lament-filled song.
This psalm is an example of how we, as the Father’s under-shepherds, are to live in the midst of disappointment, depression, grief, and desperation.
David is claiming that God is his protector and sustaining power, on whom he can fully and completely rely and depend for provision.
The Lord always hears our prayers.
The Lord always knows our circumstances.
The Lord always meets our needs. We must remember, however, that the Good Shepherd does so as He sees fit, as He knows is best for the sheep of His pasture, and as He knows will bring Him the most glory.
Dear fellow under-shepherd, I pray this emotion-filled lament of David speaks deeply to your soul this week and that you allow it to spur you into a place of complete trust and praise for the One we serve and worship – our Good, Great, and Chief Shepherd.