— DAY 4 —
Thursday 1 February, 2024
BEING COMPLETELY HONEST WITH GOD
Psalm 142 (NLT)
I cry out to the Lord;
I plead for the Lord’s mercy.
2 I pour out my complaints before him
and tell him all my troubles.
3 When I am overwhelmed,
you alone know the way I should turn.
Wherever I go,
my enemies have set traps for me.
4 I look for someone to come and help me,
but no one gives me a passing thought!
No one will help me;
no one cares a bit what happens to me.
5 Then I pray to you, O Lord.
I say, “You are my place of refuge.
You are all I really want in life.
6 Hear my cry,
for I am very low.
Rescue me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me.
7 Bring me out of prison
so I can thank you.
The godly will crowd around me,
for you are good to me.”
COMMENT
Wow…what an incredible Psalm! David wrote this Psalm while in a cave being chased by his enemies.
Verses 1-2
David starts by saying, “I cry out to the Lord….I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles.” This shows the depth of the relationship he had with God. David is completely honest with God and shares his deepest struggles. The best news is that unlike people, God always hears us, he always understands what we say and he always wants the best for us.
Verse 3
Even when we are overwhelmed and going through a season of pain, God always has a way forward. When we feel hopeless, like there is no way out, he alone knows the direction we should go. We can ask him and he will direct out path.
Verse 4-7
We all need friends but David experienced a reality that we also can experience in life. Sometimes even those closest to us won’t fully understand the cry of our heart and be there in times of trouble. People have limits, they are fallible and they will let us down. David’s response when this happened was to turn to God. He says, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.”
This Psalm shows a depth of relationship David had with God, an intimacy, where there was complete honesty. We can be totally honest with him!
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Do you have the depth of relationship with God that you can say, as David has, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life?”
How often do you share your deepest struggles with God and listen for his input and direction?
Do you tend to load up those closest to you instead of looking to God?
How may you be able to cultivate a deeper connection with God?
PERSONAL CHALLENGE
Today, spend 15-30min alone with God…no noise, no distractions, just you and Him in a quiet place.
MAIN QUESTION (SELF REFLECTION)
What is God speaking to you about through this passage?
Encourage others by sharing your revelation in the group chat!
This is a self-reflection about what God is speaking directly to you about in YOUR life.
Words like “I” and “Me” are encouraged, “we” and “us” less so.
(On the Messages tab in Church Center)
PERSONAL PRAYER STARTER
Lord, I desire a deeper connection with you. Help me to seek you your face more and be more transparent before you.
14 DAYS OF PRAYER (Corporate Prayer)
We are praying for our OASIS YOUTH and the YOUTH OF OUR CITY.
Possible prayer areas: That they would encounter God in a real way. That God would give them wisdom beyond their years and help them to stay on the narrow road.