Psalm 142:6

Psalm 142:6

I am in desperate need. 

Oh dear, David really means it doesn’t he? This is not the heart cry of one who is a bit fearful and can’t quite wangle his way out of trouble. This is a man whose whole existence is under threat, who feels completely overwhelmed by the odds against him, who sees nothing but trouble and impending disaster around him. I think that David is not just addressing his circumstances though, the problems go much deeper, it seems that his whole life and being are in danger of being overwhelmed, he has a genuine fear of death and of being destroyed completely. His life is threatened, his future is threatened, his purpose is threatened, his trust in the Lord is growing weak, where can he find help? David does not us the phrase, “Desperate need” lightly, he is indeed desperate! “Lord, listen to my cry!” As we have seen before, he has no one else to turn to, his family and close supporters are not enough, they cannot help, only the Lord can save him! Sometimes we have to be brought to such a place to realise how dependant on the Lord we really are and how He alone can help us when our need is “Desperate.”

The issue that plagues David here is not his own personal struggles with God, but the unrelenting harassment from Saul and his men. David’s life is under threat, His friends and his family’s lives are threatened too. He is well aware of the strengths of his enemies and that he has no forces that can match them. We may settle back comfortably and think that we are immune from such persecution and trouble but not so, Jesus warned of trouble in this world and it’s not from the might of military forces but from the devil himself. How he would love to crush God’s people. How he would love to eradicate all witness to the glory of God. How he unrelentingly pursues the godly with a twisted programme of hatred and deceit. How often we feel that we are defenceless and in grave danger. They are indeed too strong for us.

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