When We Are Smitten and Afflicted

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Introduction

Do you sometimes feel that things aren’t going your way? Here’s a poem that probably expresses all of our frustration from time to time.

Rough Stough

Sometimes when things seem really rough,
The trail so long, the tasks so tough,
I tell myself I've had enough
Of never feeling up to snough.

And so I vow to call life's blough;
I poke and peer, I hough and pough,
Then finally get off my dough
To battle back from each rebough.

I set aside all foolish stough,
Forget the frills, forego the flough,
I seize my troubles by the scrough–
And life becomes a bit less grough!

All of us have had those times when we felt smitten and afflicted. Our problems seem to flood over us and we don’t know what to do. In this psalm David gives us practical instruction on how to handle those times of affliction.

Verse 1

Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my supplications! In thy faithfulness answer me, in thy righteousness!

David begins this psalm by showing us three ways to cry out to God. The first thing we need to learn to do when we are facing difficult circumstances is to pray. Notice the three forms of prayer that he gives. First prayer, hear my prayer; then supplication, give ear to my supplications; and finally petition, answer me. Prayer is that time that we spend in God’s presence. Supplication is when we plead with God for help in desperate situations. Petition is when we take our specific requests to God for an answer.

David understood that when he was afflicted, he needed to come before God in prayer. Do we truly understand this? Or do we try everything else first before we come to God? We Americans tend to be very independent. We think we can handle our own problems and we don’t need anyone else helping us out. But David understood God was the one with the answers. Let us be like him and turn to our Redeemer when we are in trouble.

Verse 2

Enter not into judgment with thy servant; for no man living is righteous before thee.

Notice that David did not want what he deserved from God. As MacDonald commented, "He does not want God to give him justice. That would be disastrous. All are sinners. No one is able to produce by himself the perfect righteousness that God demands. So man must cast himself on the grace of God."

David says, "no man living is righteous before thee." He understood that all of our finest efforts aren’t good enough to warrant God’s mercy. In fact Stuhlmueller suggests that this verse was quoted by Paul in Romans 3:10, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." David understood that we must depend on God’s lovingkindness.

Verses 3-4

For the enemy has pursued me; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled.

These two verses gives us a graphic description of how David felt. He wrote that the enemy had pursued and crushed him, he sat in darkness as dead, his spirit fainted and his heart was appalled. Does this sound like what you’ve been facing?

When Yosemite was first discovered by the white man, it was a result of chasing after Indian marauders. The Mariposa Battalion was organized by the State of California to bring an end to the Mariposa Indian War. During one encounter the Battalion followed the Indian trail up an interminable, winding river canyon, and then past huge granite rocks which looked inaccessible, and continued along the edge of the mountain where they were in danger of falling off any moment, and then down a tortuous, twisting path which seemed to be heading for nowhere. And then they arrived in Yosemite Valley on March 21, 1857. They were amazed to find lush green meadows, tall trees, a wide flowing river, cascading waterfalls and towering granite enclosing the valley on every side.

Sometimes we have to go through what seems like an interminable, winding river canyon, and then past huge granite rocks which look inaccessible, and along the edge of a mountain where we think we’re in danger of falling off any moment, and then down a tortuous, twisting path which seems to be heading nowhere. But at the end of this time of affliction there is a lovely valley awaiting us – a valley of peaceful meadows and vibrant waterfalls and beauty as we have never seen before.

Verse 5

I remember the days of old, I meditate on all that thou hast done; I muse on what thy hands have wrought.

Now David gives us three steps to help us overcome our times of turmoil. They are remember, meditate, and muse. When we are going through difficult times, we need to:

Remember – remember all the times in the past when God was there for us, Meditate – meditate on all that God has done for us. He saved us, he keeps us, and he has promised his help, Muse – consider all the works of God’s hands and his mighty power with which he comes to our aid.

Clarke comments, "Thou hast often helped me, often delivered me. I will therefore trust in thee, for thy mercy is not clean gone from me."

Verses 6-7

I stretch out my hands to thee; my soul thirsts for thee like a parched land. Make haste to answer me, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not thy face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the Pit.

The next thing that David does is stretch out his hands to God. He reaches to God because he is thirsting for God’s presence. There may be times when we are so overwhelmed with sorrow that we feel as David did that "my spirit fails." In those times we need to stretch out our hands toward God. James 4:8 tells us, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." God is not far from us, but sometimes we can’t hear what he is saying to us because we haven’t reached out to him.

Verses 8-10

Let me hear in the morning of thy steadfast love, for in thee I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to thee I lift up my soul. Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies! I have fled to thee for refuge! Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God! Let thy good spirit lead me on a level path!

In these verses David prays for 5 things for God to do for him.

The first thing he asks is cause me to hear. We must be willing to listen for the voice of God. We need to have our minds and our hearts tuned in to his voice. The second thing he asks is cause me to know. The RSV gives "teach me." But the Hebrew here is the hiphil imperative of < (dy> yada which means cause me to know. We must be willing to know about God. The more we find out about him from his word, the more we will know about how he operates. The third thing he asks is deliver me. David was smitten and afflicted. He needed God to rescue him. He could not do this himself so he prays for God’s deliverance. The fourth thing he asks is teach me. We must be willing to be taught by God. We must allow the Holy Spirit to minister to us and to teach us. When we think we have all the answers, that’s when we will be in the biggest trouble. We must be open to learn from God. The fifth thing that he asks is lead me. He wanted God to guide and direct his life. We must be willing to follow God’s leading no matter where it takes us. We must be willing to go through the difficult times as well as the joyful times.

Clarke comments, "To be found doing the will of God is the only safe state for man...in adversity, to submit to it; in prosperity, to do it without pride or presumption."

A Prayer for Guidance
(Psalm 143:8-10)

Cause me to hear in the morning of your steadfast love

For in you all my faith renew

Teach me the way in the noon time of the way I’ll go

I will lift up my soul to you

Deliver me in the day time from all my foes

For my refuge to God I flew

Teach me to do in the evening of your perfect will

And the help of my God ensue

Lead me again in the twilight by your Spirit’s hand

To a path that is smooth and new

Verses 11-12

For thy name's sake, O Lord, preserve my life! In thy righteousness bring me out of trouble! And in thy steadfast love cut off my enemies, and destroy all my adversaries, for I am thy servant.

In these final two verses David expresses why we can have confidence in God. First he says, "for thy name’s sake." It is because of who God is that we can trust and rely on him. Next David says, "in thy righteousness." Because of God’s holiness we know that he will do what’s right. We can count on his goodness. We never have to wonder if he will listen to us or hear us. Then he says, "in thy steadfast love." The Hebrew word here for steadfast love is < dsx> chesed which means mercy. We can always count on God’s mercy toward us. He is kind and gracious to all who serve him.

Then David ends this psalm by saying, "for I am thy servant." Are you God’s servant? Do you serve him and obey his commands? As we serve him, we will find his love and his power reaching down to us in our times of affliction. He will be there for us.

When you feel as David did, as if you are smitten and afflicted, know that God will be there for you.. He will hear your cry and answer your prayer. He will not leave you alone.

Footnotes:

Rough Stough was sent to me from William Longman

Romans 3:10 from the King James Version

Adam Clarke’s Commentary, vol. III, pg. 673, Abingdon-Cokesbury Press (written about 1825)

Adam Clarke’s Commentary, vol. III, pg. 674-675, Abingdon-Cokesbury Press



	A Study of Psalm 143:1-12