Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Reflection - Psalm 142 - Dave Man

Source (book): "My Soul Thirsts For God", Reflections on the Psalms from Our Daily Bread, Psalm 142, "Dave Man", Page 178.
By Dave Branon, Our Daily Bread Writer



Psalm 142
PHOTO: Psalm 142
I cry aloud to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
I pour out my complaint before him;
before him I tell my trouble.

When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who know my way.
In the path where I walk
men have hidden a snare for me.
Look to my right and see,
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life.

I cry to you, O 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.


Dave Man
David was stuck in a cave, as the note at the beginning of this particular psalm tells us. Some Bible commentators think this was when he was running from King Saul, who wanted to kill him (1 Samuel 22:1). Trouble and troublemakers hounded (pursued relentlessly) him. Hemmed (surrounded closely, restricting movement, escape, or freedom) in by his circumstances and smothered (suffocated) by danger, he turned to God for help.

David was frightened, so he poured out his complaint to God (Psalm 142:2).
He felt alone and uncared for, so he cried out to God (Psalm 142:1, 4-5).
His situation was desperate, so he pleaded for rescue (Psalm 142:6).
David was trapped, so he begged for freedom (Psalm 142:7).

What cave surrounds you today? A cave of despair brought on by grief or illness? A cave of difficulties caused by your own poor decisions? Are you stuck in a cave of questions or doubts that rob you of joy and confidence?

Here's what David did when he was trapped in his cave. He asked God for mercy, he sought refuge in Him, and he promised to use his eventual freedom as a way to praise God. In the end, he looked forward to the comfort of fellow believers.

Complaint followed by faith. Depression followed by praise. Loneliness followed by fellowship. We can learn a lot from a cave man.
- Dave Branon
Picture posted by Алексей (Alexey)
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Psalm 142
I cry aloud to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
I pour out my complaint before him;
before him I tell my trouble.

When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who know my way.
In the path where I walk
men have hidden a snare for me.
Look to my right and see,
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life.

I cry to you, O 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.
Dave Man
David was stuck in a cave, as the note at the beginning of this particular psalm tells us. Some Bible commentators think this was when he was running from King Saul, who wanted to kill him (1 Samuel 22:1). Trouble and troublemakers hounded (pursued relentlessly) him. Hemmed (surrounded closely, restricting movement, escape, or freedom) in by his circumstances and smothered (suffocated) by danger, he turned to God for help.


David was stuck in a cave, as the note at the beginning of this particular psalm tells us.
PHOTO: David was stuck in a cave, as the note at the beginning of this particular psalm tells us. Some Bible commentators think this was when he was running from King Saul, who wanted to kill him (1 Samuel 22:1). Trouble and troublemakers hounded (pursued relentlessly) him. Hemmed (surrounded closely, restricting movement, escape, or freedom) in by his circumstances and smothered (suffocated) by danger, he turned to God for help.
Picture posted by Eraldo Costa
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvGH4X392aDTXYP4P-4CX_LIXUn3bOYOP1fH-qbF1Evxwg1kK3kdE53hNPZh82Da8pZ0Ifko00EH2VuEu-uhX82rlseNjdFUjmDKMOAVKCLZPuBWk5rqZherAvdu5kDEKsoR4eTqddCilOaUQY6wAYRmjddCK5BdNcRtji3K0SV6dUeb43i_v-Cyf4rk/s1024/730365f3a2c4e49c7cda4b3aceb802de_1.png
https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/73/03/65/730365f3a2c4e49c7cda4b3aceb802de.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/136163588729497489/



David was frightened, so he poured out his complaint to God (Psalm 142:2).
He felt alone and uncared for, so he cried out to God (Psalm 142:1, 4-5).
His situation was desperate, so he pleaded for rescue (Psalm 142:6).
David was trapped, so he begged for freedom (Psalm 142:7).


David was frightened, so he poured out his complaint to God (Psalm 142:2).
PHOTO: David was frightened, so he poured out his complaint to God (Psalm 142:2).
He felt alone and uncared for, so he cried out to God (Psalm 142:1, 4-5).
His situation was desperate, so he pleaded for rescue (Psalm 142:6).
David was trapped, so he begged for freedom (Psalm 142:7).
Picture posted by Eraldo Costa

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8oNoDWm5SxA_DbYsKyGGgoruXdGr-EGdl6be2rnEa6aYXocxiEQtUDb02OFZqrE0E8oCx4yF4FZkMnKHU3mZ1dfalKyDTYaN_oAsuanw8iSQz-tw1biIgD6q1lQUjEhcW-X_TfFjU6UoJf7uUty2Bl1yMBU8sHwJ_hKiHNkmiSjGA2Faq-4_bhOwZ8k/s1024/f9b345d25473f1c5457d33644f21d220_1.png
https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/f9/b3/45/f9b345d25473f1c5457d33644f21d220.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/264656915616980527/



What cave surrounds you today? A cave of despair brought on by grief or illness? A cave of difficulties caused by your own poor decisions? Are you stuck in a cave of questions or doubts that rob you of joy and confidence?


What cave surrounds you today?
PHOTO: What cave surrounds you today? A cave of despair brought on by grief or illness? A cave of difficulties caused by your own poor decisions? Are you stuck in a cave of questions or doubts that rob you of joy and confidence?
Picture posted by sofia cortes


Here's what David did when he was trapped in his cave.
PHOTO: Here's what David did when he was trapped in his cave. He asked God for mercy, he sought refuge in Him, and he promised to use his eventual freedom as a way to praise God. In the end, he looked forward to the comfort of fellow believers.
Picture posted by HeleniHikari

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDeQI1DHYOYVgJ-991a-k5HIxfynXyzKBeiY6CaHEZjhsPlKkh-pKgGVjcit-8JMIk2oQxx23AxlolCaOau0Q2azi1S35tyRRNyvbuZI4gPDNYAnUR7m_P1dr4PVDpXcWjdhBI9VfXXhX3kYCKxAudtomgSe_SRHSWAxuczL0TzZuPxUOWc-l5NRLICs/s2100/bf57e222cf5ab36163acfb661318e1f9_1.png
https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/bf/57/e2/bf57e222cf5ab36163acfb661318e1f9.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/641270434483571649/



Complaint followed by faith. Depression followed by praise. Loneliness followed by fellowship. We can learn a lot from a cave man.
- Dave Branon
 

Dear Lord
PHOTO: "Dear Lord, we pray that we follow what David did when he was trapped in his cave. He asked God for mercy, he sought refuge in Him, and he promised to use his eventual freedom as a way to praise God. In the end, he looked forward to the comfort of fellow believers.

May we learn from David:, complaint followed by faith. Depression followed by praise. Loneliness followed by fellowship.

Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
"
Picture posted by Cruz Terra Santa

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAfuSSKHsMgNMnVDE3p0FUdUc_iqtiuXr9M_b3Dx6ojh4ryL8PlThODttL0ziXEfQh8Ip817wklBz8fDp9zO7aeLbXrrMjhTjvlxijjJ0uG0zCUN2YAq26p8I3kP_3UvQC_ykvXlyu1uWSPN4zCF4gNkqrnWw16H08r_B7wPdzZnhIp8_VIojzcFSNeE/s1024/238ed2dd5dcebb92097ff8d112c992d8_11.png
https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/23/8e/d2/238ed2dd5dcebb92097ff8d112c992d8.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/226376318763537058/


Reflection - Psalm 142 - Dave Man

Source (book): "My Soul Thirsts For God", Reflections on the Psalms from Our Daily Bread, Psalm 142, "Dave Man", Page 178.
By Dave Branon, Our Daily Bread Writer



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Reference
[1] From "My Soul Thirsts For God", Reflections on the Psalms from Our Daily Bread, Copyright @ 2009 by Discovery House Publishers, Psalm 142, "Dave Man", Page 178.

Links


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