The Path of Life
Psalm 142
1 Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave. I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.
2 I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.
3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.
4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
5 I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.
6 Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.
7 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.
This Psalm portrays the heart of David; even so it portrays the Messiah when He was shut up in the prison, the house of Sheol.
David poured out his complaints to God and David’s greater Son poured out His to the Father.
We are given an example in which to follow.
When David’s heart was overwhelmed, he was saying God knew his path.
Has your spirit ever been overwhelmed and you didn’t know what to do? God knows what you are going through.
He knows the path of life that you are on and He will lead you in all of your wonderings.
David understood that God knew about his life of sorrow.
At times, God would show David what was wrong in his life and it was David’s responsibility to fix the problems that was revealed in his path of life.
David invited God to scrutinize his conduct but he knew what was revealed could and would be fixed.
When we look at Jesus’ life, we see a life of constant and bitter trial, but it was a sinless life.
Jesus was tested and, at times, Satan would try to lay snares for Him but He never sinned.
At times, Satan will, on our path of life, will lay snares and traps in order to get our minds off the things of God.
David knew that no matter what he went through in this life, God was ultimately in control.
Psalm 142:4
4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
There was no man that really knew David, refuge had failed him and no man cared for his soul.
This world does not care about your soul; they have no real knowledge of the things of God.
They might, from time to time, talk about the things of God but they really don’t know what He is all about.
Psalm 142:5
5 I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.
Again this scripture has a double meaning:
1. This scripture portrays David crying out to God and telling Him that He is refuge and his portion in the land of the living.
2. The phrase, “no man cared for my soul” is a reference to Jesus dying on the cross and thereby being made a curse by God, when in reality there was a curse but the curse was on us.
3. Jesus took that curse upon Himself.
Galatians 3:13
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Psalm 142:6
6 Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.
Jesus, after He died upon the cross, descended into Hell.
This is portraying that Jesus trusts, prays and He believes.
He is crying for deliverance and the triumph which Jesus’ resurrection would bring to the righteous.
Psalm 142:7
7 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.
This portrays the Messiah, that He will be delivered out of the death world.
Jesus knew that His prayer would be answered and what the joy of His resurrection would bring to His people.
I have entitled this tonight:
“The Path of Life” and here is the reason why:
6-22-08
I dreamed that I was on the path of life. At different points, the enemy (Satan) would put obstacles in my way. I knew that I had to overcome the things that were placed in my path. I knew that with Jesus’ help, I would make it.
Interpretation
1 Corinthians 10:13
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
At different times, the enemy, (Satan) will put obstacles in my way, you might say road blocks.
There will be times that I will be tempted to turn away from God.
There might even be times that the enemy thinks that he has me.
God will not let Satan tempt me above that which I can handle.
God will make away for me to move beyond the road block.
At times, you will be faced with opposition from the enemy but know this, God will make a way of escape for you.
David had times that Satan put up road blocks, there were times that he overcame and we know that there were times he stumbled.
Can we say that we have never stumbled over a road block that Satan has placed before us?
David, at times, took his eyes off of God and placed his eyes on the road blocks in front of him.
Eventually, David got back on the right track, when we mess up, we need to get our eyes back upon the cross of Christ, He is our strength, and He should be our stronghold.
When we face our road blocks don’t look at what you see with your physical eyes, but look through your spiritual eyes.
Doubt sees the obstacles but faith sees the way.
Psalm 142:3
3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.
John 10:10 says:
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus came that they might have life and have it more abundantly.
Satan will entice you to sin, he will make it look good but the end is that it will lead you to Hell.
Sin Kills!
Jesus had a path that He had to walk; David had a path of life that he had to walk.
The enemy, at different points, put stumbling blocks in their way, one sinned but the other stayed His course and overcame the obstacles that He had to face.
Are we overcoming our road blocks that we face in this life?
1 Corinthians 10:13
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
David didn’t have Jesus the way that we do.
He knew the Messiah was coming, but for us He has come and walked this life and He has made a way to escape from the issues that we go through.
No, David should not have taken his eyes off of God and put them on Bathsheba.
He sinned but God forgave him.
Have you ever sinned and has God forgiven you?
David realized that there was no one who really cared about his soul as far as man was concerned.
But he realized that God loved him and that He had a destiny in Him.
God loves us and we have a Destiny in Him!
Where is your path of life leading you to?
Are you being an overcomer by the Blood of Jesus?
Closing
Many people in the Word had obstacles that they had to overcome but with the help of God they got there.
What is Satan putting in front of your paths tonight?
Do you fill overwhelmed?
Cry out to God, He is your refuge and He is your help in your day of trial.
If you are interested in seeing some God given dreams go to our church website:
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/w/windoffaithdrea/
Go to the new text page for the dreams.
