Desperate and Dateless

A Series on the Psalms – a collection of prayers
Feeling desperate
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 142 

[Life is filled with emotions. The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers that express our emotions which are the cry of our soul for help and hope. In this series, we will be looking into the Psalms to learn more about ourselves and our Lord.]

  

“Desperate and Dateless” was a radio program broadcast out of Cincinnati back in the 70’s and 80’s. The concept was that single people were so desperate for a date that they would do anything to get one. Even calling the radio station.

 

Speaking of desperate, the army of Israel was so afraid of Goliath, that none of them would fight him. Despite being untested in battle, David volunteered. In the name of the Lord, he stood his ground and killed Goliath. As a result, David became a household name and a national hero.

 

But King Saul became jealous beyond reason. He pursued David with the sole intent of killing him. And pity anyone who helped David, because Saul had them killed too including the priests of Nob. Eighty-five in all, plus their entire families.

 

Saul was clearly out of his mind! David, with his four hundred men, fled from Saul going from town to town. In one town, David even pretended to be crazy in order to escape. Later he fled into the wilderness to hide.

 

Finally, David and his men hid deep inside a cave. Meanwhile, with his three thousand men waiting nearby, Saul entered the exact same cave. David appeared to be trapped. It’s based on this experience that he wrote his psalm.

 

^3-4 “As I sink in despair, my spirit ebbing away,
    you know how I’m feeling,
Know the danger I’m in,
    the traps hidden in my path.
Look right, look left—
    there’s not a soul who cares what happens!
I’m up against the wall, with no exit—
    it’s just me, all alone.      MSG

 

David experienced what it was like to feel desperate. He knew it deep inside his soul. And in his desperation, he called out to the Lord for help.

 

^5-6 “I cry out, God, call out:
    ‘You’re my last chance, my only hope for life!’
Oh listen, please listen;
    I’ve never been this low.
Rescue me from those who are hunting me down;
    I’m no match for them.               MSG

 

Feelings of desperation come to all of us one time or another. For the listeners of “Desperate and Dateless”, that meant calling the talk show host. But for you and me, the example to follow is David who called out to the Lord.

 

^8a Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.    NKJV             James 4

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

Two Questions

A Series on the Psalms – a collection of prayers
Feeling spiritually dry
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 63 

[Life is filled with emotions. The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers that express our emotions which are the cry of our soul for help and hope. In this series, we will be looking into the Psalms to learn more about ourselves and our Lord.]

  

David had two questions to answer. But in order to do so, he needed to flee into the Judean Desert. His son Absalom had crowned himself as king and led a rebellion against his father. He followed David into the wilderness with the intent of killing him.

 

The Judean Desert was the perfect place for David to hide. It is described as being “marked by barren wilderness, mountains, terraces and escarpments. It is crisscrossed by a number of valleys and has deep ravines cutting through the rock”. It’s also a stark land devoid of food and water.

 

Having been driven from his home, David must have felt isolated and alone. In addition, he was no longer in the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem where the sanctuary and the ark resided. Instead of being a safe place, the surrounding wilderness of Judea had become a spiritual desert for David.

 

¹ O God, you are my God;
    I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
    my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
    where there is no water.            NLT

 

In his whole being, David desires the Lord. His soul thirsts and his flesh yearns for the Lord. He will seek him at dawn; watching for him; waiting for him. He will think about him throughout the night.

 

⁶ As I lie in bed, I remember you;
    all night long I think of you.    GNT

 

Throughout the Bible, the wilderness is the setting for extreme experiences including a severe lack of food and water, isolation, danger, divine deliverance and encounters with the Lord.

 

The nation of Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Once that generation had passed, the next generation was given this command by Moses before entering the Promised Land.

 

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.   NIV                            Deuteronomy 6

 

As a result of David’s exile in the desert, he was able to answer two life-changing questions. First, what do you want so badly that you’re willing to do whatever it takes? And second, what keeps you awake at night?

 

Sometimes, we have to wander in the wilderness; we have to go through dry times; we have to struggle with adversity. And when we come out at the other end, we find that like David, there’s nothing more important than knowing the Lord.

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Now You’re Cooking with Gas

A Series on the Psalms – a collection of prayers
Feeling overwhelmed
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 61 

[Life is filled with emotions. The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers that express our emotions which are the cry of our soul for help and hope. In this series, we will be looking into the Psalms to learn more about ourselves and our Lord.]

  

During high school, I was pretty self-disciplined about doing my homework. Every night I would sit at the dining room table and complete my assignments.

 

However, there were times when I wasn’t able to solve a problem and would get frustrated. My anger would build until I would ask my Dad for help, hoping that he would just give me the answer. But he never did.

 

He always guided me along and helped me to figure it out on my own. When the light bulb finally came on for me, he would say, “Now you’re cooking with gas”. His words, given with love and encouragement, brought both comfort and confidence to me. In the same way that I asked my Dad for help, David asked the Lord.

 

David was the king of Israel, the leader of the land. And as the saying goes – it’s lonely at the top. Whatever his specific circumstances were when he wrote this psalm, David was feeling overwhelmed and at the end of his rope.

 

¹ O God, listen to my cry!
    Hear my prayer!
^2a From the ends of the earth,
    I cry to you for help
    when my heart is overwhelmed.          NLT

 

He desired to get away from it all. To escape reality because, to be honest, he was tired of dealing with the problems. There was no light at the end of the tunnel.

 

⁴ I long to dwell in your tent forever
    and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.           NIV

 

He felt a need for a newfound security, so he called on the Lord.

 

^2b Lead me to the towering rock of safety, ³ for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.        NLT

 

Finally, David found his source of comfort and confidence in his relationship with the Lord. As he prayed, it was in the third person. Not only did he pray for himself, but also for the fulfillment of the Lord’s covenant which was ultimately completed through Christ.

 

⁶ Add many years to the king's life;
    let him live on and on!
⁷ May he rule forever in your presence, O God;
    protect him with your constant love and faithfulness.       GNT

 

Like David, there are times when we feel overwhelmed; a desire to escape; the need for a newfound security. During those times, turn to the Lord and call out to him. 

And when you do, listen for his response of love and encouragement as he tells you, “Now you’re cooking with gas”.

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

 

The Vice Grip of Life

 

A Series on the Psalms – a collection of prayers
Feeling stressed
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 31

[Life is filled with emotions. The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers that express our emotions which are the cry of our soul for help and hope. In this series, we will be looking into the Psalms to learn more about ourselves and our Lord.]

  

From 1991-1999, there was a popular TV sitcom called “Home Improvement”. The storyline was about Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor, who was the host of a home improvement TV show. Tim always liked tools that had more power. VROOM!!!

 

Because of that, he may not have been familiar with vice grip pliers. The beauty of a vice grip is that you can tighten it as much as you want and then lock it in place, freeing up your hands to do something else. It’s a way to work smarter, but not necessarily with more power.

 

In life, sometimes you feel like a vice grip has you in its teeth and won’t let you go. When that happens, you can feel it squeezing tighter and tighter until you think your head’s going to explode. David felt that way.

 

The pressure and stress of his life affected him physically, emotionally, spiritually and socially. He described himself as being “consumed by anguish”, “drained of his strength”, and “wasting away from within”. He felt isolated and paranoid. Fear reigned within.

 

¹¹ I am scorned by all my enemies
    and despised by my neighbors—
    even my friends are afraid to come near me.
When they see me on the street,
    they run the other way.
¹² I am ignored as if I were dead,
    as if I were a broken pot.           NLT

 

But in the eye of the hurricane of his life, David remembered the goodness of God; that the Lord offered good gifts “stored up for those who fear him”; that the Lord had “shown the wonders of his unfailing love”. Because of this, David reached out to the Lord.

 

¹⁴ But I am trusting you, O Lord,
    saying, “You are my God!”
¹⁵ My future is in your hands.
    Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.     NLT

 

About one thousand years later, Jesus was hanging on a cross on Golgotha outside of Jerusalem. He had been rejected by all of his closest friends and followers. Darkness fell over the land, the sun stopped shining and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. With his dying breath Jesus quoted David from Psalm 31.

 

⁴⁶ Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.                NIV    Luke 23

 

You may never experience the vice grip of life like David did, and definitely not like Jesus did. But when it does clamp its teeth down on you… remember the goodness of God; trust in him by putting your hand in his; and say to him, “You are my God”.

 

²⁴ Be strong and take heart,
    all you who hope in the Lord.   NIV

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

 

An Upside-Down Blessing

A Series on the Psalms – a collection of prayers
Feeling helpless
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 18:1-19

[Life is filled with emotions. The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers that express our emotions which are the cry of our soul for help and hope. In this series, we will be looking into the Psalms to learn more about ourselves and our Lord.]

During the 50’s and 60’s, Westerns were the king of TV programs. I grew up watching Maverick, Rifleman and Rawhide amongst many others. The hero was always the strong silent type who would quickly take action. Plus, there was always a beautiful woman who was helpless and needed to be rescued.

 

Typically, one of the most dramatic scenes would be when the hero rode into a heated confrontation to rescue the helpless damsel in distress. He would swoop her off her feet as they rode into the sunset.

 

David felt like the damsel in distress… helpless when life had become overwhelming and out of control. The imagery of this Psalm is powerful as David paints a picture of his life.

 

⁴ The ropes of death entangled me;
    floods of destruction swept over me.
⁵ The grave wrapped its ropes around me;
    death laid a trap in my path.    NLT

 

It almost sounds melodramatic except that we don’t know what circumstances led David to write with such despair. Fortunately, the Lord heard David’s cry for help. Here’s how he described the Lord riding to the rescue.

 

⁹ He opened the heavens and came down;
    dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
¹⁰ Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew,
    soaring on the wings of the wind.        NLT

 

Then in vivid imagery, David wrote how the Lord pulled him out of his helplessness.

 

¹⁶ He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.
¹⁷ He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
    from those who hated me and were too strong for me.        NLT

 

Sometimes life can feel overwhelming and out of control. It could be due to the death of a loved one, losing your job or a broken relationship. Even a major life-change like becoming an empty nester, changing careers or moving to a new state, can cause these feelings.

 

Although it sounds upside down, this can be a blessing. It can be a blessing to feel overwhelmed; to feel that life is out of control; to feel helpless. At least, that’s what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount.

 

³ “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

⁴ “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. Matthew 5    MSG

 

Feeling helpless doesn’t feel good. But it’s an opportunity to learn to trust the Lord; to remember that he is faithful; to relearn that he will never leave you; to internalize his unfailing love. That, my friend, is an upside down blessing.

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Guilty as Charged

A Series on the Psalms – a collection of prayers
Feeling broken from guilt
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 51 

[Life is filled with emotions. The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers that express our emotions which are the cry of our soul for help and hope. In this series, we will be looking into the Psalms to learn more about ourselves and our Lord.]

  

When I was growing up, my Dad didn’t have to spank me to make me cry. All he had to do was raise his voice. Even though there was no physical pain, I felt the pain of rejection and of a broken relationship with the person who mattered the most to me. David felt the same way with God.

 

He had sinned greatly against God. In the spring when his army went to battle, the great warrior David stayed home. As a result, he had an affair with Bathsheba who became pregnant. When her husband wouldn’t cooperate in David’s cover up scheme, he had him killed. David knew he had sinned. He was guilty as charged!

 

⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.  NIV

 

In his guilt and shame, David begged God to forgive and cleanse him. There was a stain on his life that he couldn’t get rid of by himself. His only recourse was to appeal to God’s mercy and love.

 

¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
    because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
    blot out the stain of my sins.     NLT

 

David had been a man after God’s own heart. He had stood up to the Philistines and defeated Goliath. He had led Israel into battle time and again. When he was unjustly persecuted by King Saul who intended to kill him, David didn’t retaliate. But now his sins overwhelmed him.

 

³ For I recognize my rebellion;
    it haunts me day and night.     NLT

 

However, what haunted him the most was the prospect of losing his relationship with God. The thought of being separated from God drove him to make amends.

 

¹¹ Do not banish me from your presence,
    and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.      NLT

 

David realized that he needed God’s forgiveness. In Israel, the normal way for seeking forgiveness was to offer an animal sacrifice. But David knew that wasn’t enough. He needed to change his life.

 

¹⁷ The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
    You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. NLT

 

Sin separates us from God. Only the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross can bridge that chasm; can restore us. Because of Christ, nothing can separate us from God. Paul put it like this to the Roman church.

 

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.        NIV

 

David was guilty as charged. But even though he knew nothing about Jesus, he understood that nothing could separate him from God’s love. Not even his sin.

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

My Disciplinarian

A Series on the Psalms – a collection of prayers
Feeling like a disappointment
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 6 

[Life is full of emotions. The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers that express our emotions which are the cry of our soul for hope. In this series, we will be looking in the mirror of the Psalms, to learn more about ourselves and our Lord.]

 

Growing up, my Dad was my disciplinarian. This included spanking. The ironic thing is that as I got older it didn’t hurt when he spanked me. But I would still cry because I knew that I had disappointed him.

 

David wrote Psalm 6 as a prayer in response to the Lord’s discipline. It had affected his whole being… mind, body and soul.

 

² Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak.
    Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
³ I am sick at heart.
    How long, O Lord, until you restore me?       NLT

 

In his prayer, he appealed to the Lord’s unfailing love to show mercy.

 

⁴ Return, O Lord, and rescue me.
    Save me because of your unfailing love.        NLT

 

David was a mighty warrior; a man’s man. After all, he had defeated Goliath! And yet, in an unexpected confession, David disclosed not only how he reacted physically to the Lord’s discipline, but also just how emotional he was.

 

⁶ I am worn out from sobbing.
    All night I flood my bed with weeping,
    drenching it with my tears.      NLT

 

We don’t know the specifics of David’s situation; of what led the Lord to discipline him. The NIV study Bible suggests that the Lord was disciplining him by inflicting him with an illness for some sin that he had committed. Think of Bathsheba and her husband Uriah.

 

But what we do know is how he was feeling. We know how the discipline affected the condition of his mind, body and soul. We also know that he based his appeal on the Lord’s unfailing love.

 

You get the feeling that David needed the Lord’s love and acceptance more than anything else. Maybe even, like me, he felt bad because he had disappointed the Lord, his Heavenly Father.

 

We’ve all disappointed someone in our life at one time or another. It might have been a
parent or a spouse or even ourselves. For sure though, we’ve disappointed our Heavenly Father. The Good News is that He hears us when we pray.

 

⁹ The Lord has heard my plea;
    the Lord will answer my prayer.         NLT

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

Protecting Your Home

A Series on the Psalms – a collection of prayers
Feeling unprotected
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 90 

[Life is full of emotions. The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers that express our emotions which are the cry of our soul for hope. In this series, we will be looking in the mirror of the Psalms, to learn more about ourselves and our Lord.]

 

Home is supposed to be a safe place. Everything that’s important to you is kept there: family pictures, documents and worldly possessions. It’s where you live with the people that you love... your family. If someone breaks into your home, you feel unprotected and vulnerable.

 

A few years after moving to Columbus, our home was broken into during the daytime. My wife and I were working. As a result, our nine-year-old daughter discovered the burglary when she came home from school. The back door was broken, and the burglar had placed a kitchen knife on the counter.

 

In Psalm 90, Moses felt unprotected. Part of his reason was due to God’s anger.

 

⁷ We wither beneath your anger;
    we are overwhelmed by your fury.
⁸ You spread out our sins before you—
    our secret sins—and you see them all.           NLT

 

Even life itself left Moses feeling vulnerable.

 

¹⁰ Our days may come to seventy years,
    or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
    for they quickly pass, and we fly away.          NIV

 

As Moses prayed about this, he was reminded about who God is and His love.

 

¹ Lord, through all the generations
    you have been our home!
² Before the mountains were born,
    before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
    from beginning to end, you are God.               NLT

¹⁴ Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
    that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.              NIV

We do a lot of things to protect our home, ourselves and our loved ones. We put locks on our doors and fences around our yards. We have a security system installed. We put our money in the bank. We tell our children to not get in a car with a stranger.

 

All of these are good things to do. But the best thing is to pray. By doing this, we not only remind ourselves about who God is and His love for us, but also call upon Him as our refuge and home... a very safe place to be.

 

⁹ If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.  NIV    Psalm 91

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com