Journaling — Psalm 142
In the following devotionals, I am sharing excerpts from my own journal as one example of how to journal Scripture. Each one closes with my written prayer in response to the Scripture truths.
A psalm of lament.
With my voice (not just my mind) I cry out to the LORD;
with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD. (not to others or my circumstances)
I pour out my complaint before Him;
I tell my trouble before Him. (hiding nothing, not holding back)
When my spirit faints within me,
You know my way! (He carries me.)
. . . there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; (nowhere to hide or be safe)
no one cares for my soul. (I have no one but God.)
I cry to You, O LORD;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.” (my Hope and Desire for eternity)
Attend to my cry, (Answer me, O Lord!)
For I am brought very low! (Humbled, I bow prostrate before the throne of God.)
Deliver me from my persecutors, (from those without and from those within—guilt and shame)
For they are too strong for me! (I can’t fight them on my own.)
Bring me out of prison, (Open my eyes and heart and mouth)
that I may give thanks to Your name!
. . . for You will deal bountifully with me” (vv. 1-7).
The psalmist promises to praise the LORD once God delivers his soul from prison. Those words can be read two ways. A soul in bondage to sin cannot praise God before knowing Him, but the psalmist knows the LORD — so intimately that he runs to Him in trouble. Yet, the psalmist tries to bargain with God to release his “soul from prison”; if God does, then he will give thanks to God. The irony is (and I certainly mean this for myself as a personal lesson to learn and apply!) that the key to this prison door is giving thanks to God!
Thanksgiving and praise to God even in the darkness frees the soul, as David himself wrote numerous times throughout his psalms: “Give thanks to the LORD for He is good. His love endures forever” (Ps. 107, 118, 136). Would not all things have been different if, when Satan tempted Eve, she or Adam had said, “What? God has given us all this—all—so, why would we want more?” and then they had turned and run to the LORD to give Him thanks?!
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
Lord God, turn my grumbling into gratitude, and in my gratitude, turn my heart not only to thanksgiving but to giving, not just from abundance, but from my heart, self-sacrificing as You sacrificed for me. I confess, Lord, that the thought of self-sacrificing often gets stuck in my throat, and I choke on it and try to choke it back. Still, within self-sacrifice is the true blessing to which You called me to partake, not as an unfavored food rich in vitamins but as the most delightful morsel at Your table, for that is Your table: the bread and wine, Your body and blood.
PRAYER
I pour myself out as an offering to You. Yes, Lord, my heart is slow, often pouring out only a drop at a time, but how can You fill me up totally unless I am totally emptied? I give You all. All is Yours, not mine, and always has been. All is Yours, only given to us to steward for a short time. Thank You, Lord, for the gifts You have given; even our breath is Yours, breathed into us. My soul is Yours, O LORD, created to glorify You and enjoy You forever1, my God and King. Amen. Use the thanksgiving of my heart to open my lips and free my soul from the prison of self with songs of thanksgiving for all You have given, for whom the Son sets free shall be free indeed (John 8:36). Amen.
1The Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 1.
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Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.