Please Listen to my Cry

Scripture:
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.

Psalm 142:4-7

Observation: In his time of despair, the psalmist sees that no one is on his side. No one is with him, and no one even cares. Therefore, he can only turn to the Lord. In "desperate need" he asks for rescue from enemies that are too strong for him, and for release from a prison so that he can freely praise God.

Application: In all these days that have passed - about 100 days now - I have felt this way. I have felt alone, without anyone on my side. I have been oh, so desperate. I have felt my days to be a prison. I have sought a return to "normalcy" so I can again serve and praise God in new and better ways. I see my circumstances as hopeless and so much stronger than anything I can do to overcome them.

Yet I have also known God is my refuge and my only hope here on earth. It is only by God's grace that I can be saved and restored. Restoration may look different ... in fact, I am embracing and excited about the "difference" in the rest of my life. I am in desperate need, and I know I cannot recover on my own, yet I know God can do all things.

Prayer: Lord, I pray again today for deliverance from these circumstances. Please fill me with your spirit this day, and guide me in your ways and words. I ask that you direct my steps into the path of your will for my life, and I beg, Lord, that this happen now. My family loves you, and I know it is in your will to care for them and take them into certain places in this world. You are with me, Lord, and I pray for your delivery from this prison, so I may serve you in a better way. Please, my Lord and my father. Amen.