Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. (Ps. 142:7)
Expanded Passage: Psalm 142
Of all the different kinds of psalms, most involve pleas to the Lord for help in tough situations. Psalm 142 is one of those psalms. Traditionally, this psalm is related to the time when David was hiding out in a cave because Saul was seeking his life. David cried to the Lord for help. It seemed like no one else cared. No one else was paying attention to his distress. But the Lord was.
David was not actually in prison, but he felt like he was. Life is full of prisons like that. Most of us will never have someone chasing after us, trying to kill us. Still, we will face challenges. We will face troubles. We will face temptations that pursue us.
Many of our prisons are inside us. They are doubts. They are fears. They are desires for things we know we should not desire. These things can hold us back from giving our all to the Lord. They can threaten our relationship with God. They can bring us deep unhappiness.
The Lord can free us from any prison. We cannot be freed in our own power. The forces that pursue us are too strong for us on our own. But the Lord has all power. We only need to trust in him.
Ask God to free you from the spiritual prisons that confine you.
Ken Schenck is vice president for university partnerships with Campus EDU. He previously served as vice president for Houghton College (NY) and dean of Wesley Seminary (IN).
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
