Pouring Out Your Heart to God from the Cave Week 31

We are in Psalms 142 and uh so if you want to turn over to there and we're just kind of we've gone through the the Psalms. I I originally chose a number of Psalms, not all of them to cover. And I've given you an opportunity to say uh here's some Psalms that uh we'd like to see. And so somebody asked for Psalms 141, 142, and 143. So that's what we're going through now. And you're going to have your last chance to ask for another Psalms. If you would like a different psalms was one more opportunity to do that. You can email or text me. Uh this is a psalm I'd like you to cover that we haven't covered yet in doing that.

By the way, it's good to have Sandbex back and pray for their son Garrett and there is he got married uh and uh pray for them as they start their lives together as well. Okay. As you look at the notes on page 37, uh he wrote this from a cave. And this was very likely as best we can tell from 1st Samuel 22 when Saul was persecuting him and chasing him across the country and he had hidden in a cave by himself. All his men were gone. There was nobody with him. And Saul had that cave pretty well surrounded. Didn't know David was in there. And uh David even had an opportunity to take out Saul and he didn't.

and and he's writing in that discouraging place, that difficult place of challenge in his life. And that's when he wrote this psalms. It's called a mashial psalm. Uh I don't pronounce that right, but you got to get more of a guttural sound in there, which my tongue doesn't do. Uh but what it means is a contemplative teaching psalm. And these psalms are meant to impart wisdom, instruction, and contemplation. And when when you see that in the title, that means that you're supposed to stop and really think about this. Don't just rush through it, but really spend time reading, thinking about what you're reading and and contemplate it in your life.

And um and I listed there for you the other ones, the other uh contemplative psalms that are there. And I would encourage you to go back through there and do that as a Bible study uh together. uh as a couple or individually and just go through each of these one day at a time and read it and think about it and contemplate on it. Uh and and I think it would be a real blessing. On Sunday, we challenge you to do the same thing with the word sila. And every place in the Bible, the word sila, it's a musical term which means to think about it. And uh I would encourage you to do that as devotion as well where you go through and look up each of these verses in context and and think about them and uh in your life.

So, I would encourage you on both of those. We're not going to do that in this study, uh, but something you could do on your own as well. So, here in Psalms 142, David says, "I cried unto the Lord with my voice. With my voice unto the Lord did I make supplication. I poured out my complaint before him. I showed before him my trouble." So, he voiced his problems. He cried out in despair, "Lord, I'm in this cave. Everybody's trying to kill me. Uh, you know, what am I going to do? And he's just crying out in a time of despair and, uh, calling on the Lord. And I think it's interesting, I don't have that right directly in notes, but he says, I cried to the Lord with my voice, with my voice on the Lord that I make my supplication.

So twice he used that word voice. And I think there are times where it's good to say it out loud just rather than your mind. Now, remember, we talked about this before. When you say something out loud or even when you say it out loud in your mind, you know what I'm talking about. There's things you can think about. Then there's things that you actually kind of you say it out loud, but inside your head, but you're still saying it out loud. When you do that, when you voice it, you're giving life to it. God breathed life into man. And so, if you voice your complaints, you're giving life to your complaints.

they become living objects and and and that's something you don't want to do. You don't want to voice your complaints, your your whining, your your your problems and and you got to be careful of that. But at the same time, there is a time to voice to God, God, here's what I'm going through to say it out loud or whether it's with your mouth or to say it out loud in your brain. And and that's what David is doing here. He's got a point and say, "God, why why is this happening? Why am I uh going through all of this? He poured out my complaint before him. So look at Psalms chapter 77 and verse number one.

And and the first thing is you need to say it in Psalm 77 and verse number one. Psalm 77 and verse number one. I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice. and he gave ear unto me. And then look at Psalms 141 and verse number one. We just covered this. Lord, I cry unto thee. Make haste unto me. Give ear unto my voice when I cry unto thee. And and it's just saying to God is to voice it. Just talk to the Lord about it. There's sometimes with your frustration or your anger or whatever else it might be, it's good to voice it out to the Lord. Not to give it life in the sense that, you know, we complain and just make it more real, but to really talk to God about it and and to talk it out with the Lord and to voice your frustration.

And that's what David is doing here. He's voicing his frustration. He's saying it out loud. Look at James chapter 5 and verses 13- 16. James chapter 5 and verses 13- 16. James 5:13. Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church. Let them pray over him. Anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up. And if you have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that you may be healed.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man of health much. And I think there's times to cry out together. Um we're doing these one-on-one Bible studies. If you haven't done one yet, let me let me everything I can to encourage you. Find someone to do the one-on-one with. Both men and women. Um I I started another one today and every one of them I've done. The best thing about it is the people I'm doing with is they're able to say, "Here's what I'm frustrated with. Here's what I'm struggling with. Here's what I'm dealing with." And and and all of them have said something along this line after the first week or two.

It it's just such a relief to to tell somebody this. It's such a relief to have somebody know somebody's praying for me and and holding me accountable. And and there's just a time where we need to call out to God. And I think there's times where we need to call out verbally to him again either with our mouth or at least in our head, but just to to speak it to the Lord and say, "Lord, why is this happening? What are you doing here?" And I think there's times that is good to do that and express that frustration even uh but ultimately have to come to the same conclusion David did and say, "God, I trust you with this."

But I think it's also important to call it out with somebody else. And if you don't have somebody in your life that you can voice these things to that you're going through and share them with and ask them to pray for you, then you are not um you're not where you need to be and and you need to find someone like that. If you want to do one of the 101 Bible says let's know that. We'll get you set up with that as well. But he says he goes on to say in Psalms 142 and um he says Lord unto the Lord did I make my supplication. Okay, go to Philippians chapter 4 and verses 6 and 7. Philippians chapter 4 and verses 6 and 7.

Philippians 4:6 says, "Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God which passes all understanding should keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." So, he gives us a couple different words here. In fact, if you go back to Psalms 143, it says, "Hear my prayer, O Lord. Give ear unto my supplication." Um, in in thy faithfulness, answer me, and in thy righteousness. So, he talks about prayer and supplication. And in in Philippians, it talks about prayer, supplication. With thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

And there's another word, intercession. Now, we're going to look at those words in more detail in Psalms 143. But what is the difference between supplication and prayer? They're synonymous terms that are different. Okay. So, when God gives you synonymous terms that are different, there's a reason why. And so, what's the difference between supplication and and prayer? As I've been working on a lesson for next week, you know, I looked at that. Prayer is is really not what we commonly call prayer. We usually think of prayer, God, I'm asking for this, I'm God, asking for that. But prayer is more of adoration.

It's more of saying God you are a great God and it's more of an adoration where supplication is saying God here's what I want. Here's what I need. I'm supplementing. I'm coming to the Lord saying God only you can provide this. And that's supplication. And David is saying in Psalms 142, he's saying listen Lord I I I'm lifting my voice to you. I'm making supplication. I need you in this situation. Now, intercession is a whole different thing as well and and we need to do it with thanksgiving and making our requests known to God. But there's synonymous terms that are different. So, in this case, he's saying, "Lord, I'm coming to you because here's what I need from you in this situation."

All right? And then, um, look at verse number two. He says, "I poured out my complaint before him. I showed before him my trouble. In other words, don't hold it in. Don't hold it in. Again, I don't want to give the idea it's okay to just go around complaining all the time and this is terrible. That's terrible. Uh get over that and get you and you'll see again in these Psalms, David says, "Hey, God, this is all bad." But and he always goes back to the Lord. But you know, you if you're thinking it, you might as well say it to the Lord because he already knows it. So don't hold it in. Lord, why are you doing this?

You know, talk to the Lord. Voice that and and pour out your heart and your soul. Don't hold it in. Look at Psalms chapter 62 and verse number 8. Psalms chapter 62 and verse number eight. Trust in him at all times, ye people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. What's that next word? Sila means think about that. Pour out your heart to God. God, this is how I'm feeling. This is what's going on. I'm frustrated. I'm angry. Pour that out to God. Now, don't be disrespectful to the Lord. And David is not being disrespectful, but he's just saying, "God, I don't understand. Why is this happening?"

And and so, you got to sometimes just let it vent. Go to Job chapter 32 and look at verses 17- 20. Job 32:17, I said, I will answer also my part. I also will show mine opinion, for I am full of the matter. The spirit within me constrainth me. Behold, my belly is a wine which hath no vent. It is ready to burst like new bottles. You've got to let it vent out. Now, not in the wrong way. A lot of us think of you when you vent out your anger. You you you you yell or you scream or you say bad things or hurtful things. That's not what it's talking about. But there is times where we just got to pour out what's going on in our heart.

We got to say, "God, this is what I'm feeling." And and and to vent that and and and because if you hold it in, you're going to explode. And that's not what God wants. And then pour out your soul. Look at Job chapter 30 and verses 15 and 16. Terrors are turned upon me. They pursue my soul as the wind and my welfare passes a as a cloud. And now my soul is poured out upon me. The days of affliction have taken hold upon me. Just don't you can pour out your soul to God. And and if if you get anything from Psalms, David understood this and and he just would say, God, I don't understand. You know, I I don't know why this is happening.

And he would just pour out his soul to the Lord. In 1st Samuel 1:es 9-16, you know, Hannah was depressed. Uh we know that because of just her old attitude. She wouldn't eat. She couldn't be happy with anything. She had a great husband and that didn't make her happy. She was depressed because she wouldn't have a baby. And she finally got to the point says, "You know, I'm tired of being depressed all the time." And she just said, "I'm going to pour out my soul to God." Look at verse number nine. So Anna rose up after they had eaten at Shiloh and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.

And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord and wept sore. And she vowed a vow and said, Oh Lord of hosts, if thou wil indeed look in the affliction of thine handmade and remember me and not forget thine handmade, but will give unto thy handmade a manchild, then will I give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. And it came to pass as she continued praying before the Lord that Ela marked her mouth. She wasn't speaking out loud. So her lips were moving and she was weeping and calling out to God. And Eli thought she was drunk. Now Hannah, she spake in her heart.

Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, "How long will thou be drunken? Put away thy wine from thee." And Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord. I'm a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out my soul before the Lord. Count not thine handmade for daughter bile, but out of the abundance of my complaint and grief, I was spoken here too. Hitherto. She just poured herself out to the Lord. And there's just times we need to do that. Again, not complaining. And she came to the point, I believe, she came to the point said, "Lord, I I want a child, but if you're not going to give me one, I'm I'm trusting in you."

And she's just giving it all to the Lord. tired of being depressed. I'm tired of crying all the time. I'm tired of not being happy. And she just said, "I I want this to change." And there's just a time in our life where we need to do that. Okay. Going back to Psalms chapter 142, the next thing we see there in verses 3 and 4 says, "When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou kneest my path. In the way where I walk, have they privy laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand and behold, but there was no man that would know me. Refuge filled me for no man cared for my soul. At this point, he just felt all alone.

Now, he was alone in that cave, but he felt like there's nobody that cares that nobody understands. There's nobody here with me. He just felt all alone and overwhelmed. And when you are overwhelmed, look at Psalm chapter 77 and verses 2 and three. Psalm 77 and verses 2 and three. In the day of my trouble, I sought the Lord. My sore ran in the night and seized not. My soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God and was troubled. I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed. Cila, he just said, there's times in life, I don't know about you, but there are times in life I've just felt totally overwhelmed.

I I like I I can't do this anymore. Whether it might be in your marriage or with your kids, it might be in your job. It might be in your spiritual walk and and the things you're trying to juggle, but you just get to that point just feeling totally overwhelmed by the circumstances. Maybe it's financial. Uh for me, health issues have done that to me where it's just like, Lord, you know, you know, I struggle with insomnia and there's nights I'm laying there in bed, I can't go to sleep, and I'm just saying, Lord, I need sleep. I need to go to sleep. And it seems like the harder I try, the worse it gets, you know, and just feeling overwhelmed.

And that and that's when you got to call upon God. And that's where David was. And um go to Matthew 11. Matthew 11 and:es 28-30. Matthew 11:28-30. Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy lad, and I will give you rest. take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light and and so Jesus said listen stop carrying it you know I I've never worked with a yoke on an animal but what I've read and understand is you put you the the thing you have to be careful is not to get a more powerful ox on one side of the yolk than the other because the powerful ox will carry the burden and that's what God says says, "Listen, come into my yoke and I'll take the burden.

I'll put the the work in there." And you you still got to be in the yoke. You still got to get out there and do your part. You can't just sit back and say, "God, do everything." He says, "Take my yoke upon you. Come walk with me and I'll pull the greater burden for you." And that's what that's what David is seeking from the Lord at this point. And then go to 1 Peter chapter 5 and look at verse number seven. 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse number seven. Casting all your care upon him for he cares for you. And so that's what David is is attempting to do. And I don't know about you, but in my life, it takes a while to get there where I really trust in the Lord.

It starts out with complaining. It starts out with, you know, this terrible and got to voice all that despair and all the rest of it. But then you finally get the point and say, "Lord, it's good to talk to you and and and thank you for taking some of this burden. God, I'm going to give you this care so I'm not going to have to carry it anymore." And just when you're overwhelmed, that's what you need to do. So find the right path, stay the course. Go to Job chapter 23. Job chapter 23. and verses 9- 12 on the left hand where he doth work but I cannot behold him. He hideth himself on the right hand that I cannot see him but he knoweth the way that I take.

When heath tried me I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps. His ways have I kept and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips. I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. And and so David Job is aying here, listen, Lord, I don't always see you. You remember the poem of the footsteps? You ever you probably all read that, you know, where where he's looking down and sees that there was was two sets of footsteps, now it's only one. And God, where are you in this? Well, I'm carrying you. You know, he's there. You don't always see him, but he's there.

And that's what we have to remember. and and and so that's what David needed to come to that point of seeing. So find that right path. When my spirit was overwhelmed with me, then thou kneest my path. God, what what direction am I going to go here? Again, that's the thing a lot of times for me. I don't know about you, but okay Lord, what am I going to do now? What's the next step here? And asking the Lord to show you the right path to go on and uh and and to get on that right path and to stay the course. Sometimes it's a matter of God, help me to stay faithful even though I'm discouraged. Help me not to quit here and to give up.

And then um uh so find the right path. Stay the course. And then letter C, watch out for snares and traps. In the the way where I walked have they privly laid a snare for me. Okay. So he says I Lord they're they're trying to set a trap to catch me in. And uh he's beginning to realize that. Look at Psalms 141 and verse number N. Psalms 141 verse number N. Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me and the gins which is another word for traps of the workers of iniquities. And then look at um Psalms 31 and verse number four. Psalms 31:4. Put me out of that the net that they have laid privilege for me for thou thou art my strength.

Now, the thing about traps is there's not a big sign of saying this is a trap. You know, they're made to not be something that the animal's going to avoid getting into. And in fact, often times they have something very attractive in there that the animal wants. And and that's what the devil devil knows exactly how to set that trap for you and I. And and David understood that. Don't let me get in the trap of complaining. Don't let me get in the trap of whining about my situation. Don't get me the trap. Don't let me fall into these traps. And and so he understood that this was a a danger that he had to be careful of.

And then so he says, "Pull me out of the net that they have laid privilege for me, for thou art my strength." So Lord, help me not to get caught up in this net. And and they didn't they did it privately. You see, it's that being alone. Again, the one-on-one Bible studies is just you begin to feel like you're not alone anymore. That there's somebody else that can understand what you're feeling. There's somebody else maybe been down that path. There's somebody else that's going to walk beside you in that process. And and that's what's such a blessing to know that you're not alone. And and especially know that God is going to be with you.

He'll never leave you nor forsake you. Um look at Psalm 69. Psalm 69 and verse number 20. Psalm 69 verse 20. Reproach hath broken my heart and I'm full of heaviness. I look for some to take pity but there was none and for comforters but I found none. Sometimes it feels like I'm all alone. Nobody cares but God does. And they go over to Jude. Jude and only one chapter there and Jude chapter 1 and verses 22 and 23. And if some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling out of the fire, hating even the garment spade spotted by flesh. You know what the biggest problem folks is?

A lot of people feel like they're alone and nobody cares. Let me encourage you. care about people. There are people in this church that are struggling and they need somebody to care, somebody to pay attention, somebody to come alongside of them. And and maybe God wants to use you to be that answer to their prayers. And and so pay attention when people aren't in church. Pay attention when people are discouraged and they're going through things in their life. They need somebody to come alongside. You know, someone like Josephina, this is a struggle for her. You know, think about losing your sight, the possibility of losing your sight.

And she needs people to come alongside of her. People like the titles need somebody to come alongside of them. And when people are going through those difficult times, God calls us to help not getting caught in the snare and the trap of depression and and uh pulling away from the Lord and all the rest of the things that we do. And so, he's feeling alone. So David cries out, "God, why is this happening? Nobody cares." But then he gets to verse number five, going back to Psalms 142. He says, "I cried unto thee, oh Lord. I said, thou art my refuge in my portion of the land of living." This is the turning point.

And at some point, you got to stop complaining. You got to stop whining. You got to stop, you know, voicing all the all these problems. Woe is me and just say, you know what, God, I got all these problems, but I still have you. And you are my refuge. You are my strength. You are right there for me. And that's what you got to come back to. And that and you read the Psalms, that's what David always comes back to. David did want to complain a lot. I mean, really, a lot of the Psalms are about that, but he always came back to the Lord. And and so we we need to see that turning point. So he cried to the Lord, "Thou art my refuge."

Go over to Psalms 46:es 1-3. 46 1-3. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried in the midst of the sea, though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. You know, God is that refuge, that place I can go to where I'm safe. And and that's what we want to find in the Lord is our refuge, our safety, our place of safety and comfort. And then he says, I cried unto thee, oh Lord. I said, "Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living."

Now, what does he mean by my portion in the land of the living? I want you to think about that for a minute. Now, I'd like to do a lot more discussion, but because we're on video, it's not easy to do that with the microphones and everything, but I I I do want you to think to see to think, okay, this is a mascul psalm, so he wants us to think. So, what does he mean by thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living? Think about that phrase. What do you think it means? Okay, let's look at some scriptures because scripture always helps us understand scripture. So go to Psalms chapter 73 and look at verses number 25 and 26.

Psalm 73, 25 and 26. Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there's none upon the earth that I desire besides thee. My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. So God is my portion. So same idea, my portion. So what does he what does he mean by that when he says that you're my portion forever? Um and and and that idea of that word portion is is the idea of of a rock of of solid that he's going to be there for me. But but go on. That's the word strength. And then the portion is is just trust in the Lord. But I want you to look also at um at Romans chapter 8.

Romans chapter 8 and looking at verses number 15 through 18. Romans 8:1 15. For we not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but receive the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, "Aba, Father." The spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint hes with Christ, if so that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together. For I reckon the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. And so, we're joint hes. We have a portion in the inheritance of God.

You know, I have a home in heaven. I have a promise of a new body. No more insomnia, no more headaches. I have the the promise of the riches of God. And and so that I think that's what David is kind of looking at here. Remember, David was in the cave. He's running for his life. He really has no country now because he's been banned out of the country by Saul. In fact, for a while, he went into into the Philistines and and lived with them. And so, where's, you know, where's my portion? Where God promised the people of Israel the land. And every family had a portion of that land. But David couldn't even go home.

You remember it was in the cave another time. He he wished for a a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem because he hadn't been home in so long. And the mighty men went and fought to get that for him. He was missing his portion, his promise of God. God, you promised me and and and just remind yourself that we have an inheritance. We have a portion from God. We have that promise that's coming. Okay? And then um next in verses six and seven, he says, "Attend unto my cry, for I'm brought very low. Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. 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. Okay, so the verse five is the turning point. Now in verses six and seven, he makes an appeal for deliverance. Okay, God, I can't fight this battle in my own strength. You've got to be my deliverer. I I I've shared this testimony before, but when we were in our old building down here by Cycle City Wendy's, we were paying $16,000 a month rent there and and they had told us, "You got one year to be out and and and we we were looking we had been already looking for a new location and we were looking everywhere and we couldn't find anything.

Everything we found, it just didn't work out. It fell through. Uh we were within 24 hours of closing on purchasing some a building not too far from here and uh and and and that fell through and I got to the point I says, "God, what's going on? I mean, I'm here trying to build a church for you. I'm here trying to do the work of God and and you won't even give us a building. Why why why can't you provide something, you know, and we're going to be have we're already out in the street. We're have no place to go." And I literally what that was what I was saying to God. I was voicing that complaint because I was just at the end of my rope.

And really what God had to bring me to the point of is that you can't do this. It's got to be me. Because every building we looked at, every property we looked at, I was the kind of guy that's going to make the square peg fit in the round hole. We can make this building. My wife will tell you if we'd gotten that building we were within 24 hours of closing on, we'd have been miserable as a church. We couldn't have grown. It would have been a terrible location. It would have been nothing like what we have now. And God had to bring me to that point and say, "God, I I can't do this, but you can." And boy, did he work a miracle with this property.

And then he did it again just this year with the whole lease situation. And that's when you really get to see God do something. when you come to the end of yourself and say, you know what, God, I can't do this, but you can't. And you trust in him. And that's what David did here at this point. So, he peeled for deliverance. At your lowest point, call on God. Go to Psalms chapter 86 and verses 12 and 15. Psalms chapter 86 and verses 12- 15. I will praise thee, oh Lord, my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify thy name forever more. For great is thy mercy toward me, and thou has delivered my soul from the lowest hell, oh God.

Uh the the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul, and not set and have not set thee before them. But thou, oh Lord, our God, full of compassion and gracious longsuffering and plenteous in mercy and truth. This lowest point, call out to God. That's where you God wants to bring us to. Um, you can't do it in your own strength. Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, say the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6. 2 Corinthians chap 7 or chapter 12 7-15. 2 Corinthians 12 and 7-15. Wow. 2 Corinthians 12:7. and not by his coming only, but by the consolation whereof, when he was comforted you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me, so that I rejoice the more.

For though I made you sorry with the letter, I do not repent, though I did not did repent. For I perceived the same epistle, I've made you sorry, though before a season. Now I rejoice not that you were made sorry, but that you sorrowed to repentance. That that godly sorrow that changes us. And and that's the point we got to come to is just realizing, Lord, I I can't do this. And and God, I I'm sorry for for not trusting you. And just come to that point with it. You can't do it in your own strength. And then going back to Psalms 142, I want to try to finish up if I can here. So, uh it says, "Attend to my cry for I was brought very low.

Deliver me for my persecutors for they are stronger than I. bring my soul out of prison. So, what kind of prisons do we put ourselves into? We put ourselves into prisons where we kind of lock ourselves into a a situation where it's got to be this way or no way. With the building, I kind of lock myself in and God had to take me out of that prison and say, "Wait a minute. Let me show you what I can do." And we just got to get to that point of not letting ourselves the prison of depression, the prison of anger, the prison of bitterness. We lock ourselves in prisons. And so, how do we get out of the prisons of life?

Look at Psalms 146 and verse number seven, which executed judgment for the oppressed, which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord loosenth the prisoner. You know, Acts 16, Paul and Silas were in jail. And what did they start doing? They started singing, praising God. And that's when God released them from prison. And stop instead of complaining, instead of whining, get to the point you start praising God and he'll release you from that prison. So surround yourself with righteousness. Psalms 142 and uh look at the verse 7. Bring my soul out of prison. I may praise thy name. The righteous shall compass me about for thou shalt thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

You know in in Psalm 7:7, let's turn over there. Psalms 7 and verse 7. So shall the congregation of people compass thee about for their sakes. Therefore return now on high. That's where you find it in the fellowship and being around people that are going to encourage you and point you to God and just get they're going to compass you about. They're going to surround you with compassion and love. And then um Hebrews chapter 10, not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together, provoking one another to love and good works. You need people around you going to not let you get down in the dumps and let you get depressed, let you become a whiner, complainer.

They're going to just tell you, get over yourself and trust in God. You need those kind of people around you. They're going to encourage you to look to the Lord. And in Hebrews chapter 12, looking unto Jesus. Now in verse one it says compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses these people that are cheering you on to do the right thing and that's what David realized as well. All right. So, we got through Psalms 142 and so next week we'll look at Psalms 143 and uh continue our study.