Psalm 141:1-5 - The Cries of a Desperate Man

It is hard to believe that we have now come to the last ten chapters in this wonderful book of Psalms. As I have been reading through the Psalms over the years and especially these past couple of weeks I have noticed a recurring theme throughout the book. David, who wrote more than half of the psalms is constantly crying out for God to help him as he faces difficult trials and desperate situations. It is a repeated theme, over and over again, that you can’t help but see. David did have some wonderful highlights in his life, like when he killed Goliath and became a national hero overnight. But for most of his life after that he was plagued with trouble, evil and wicked men who sought to destroy him, family issues beyond imagination with even his own son leading an insurrection against him. God had a special way of keeping David humble and totally dependent upon the LORD for deliverance and help. Honestly that is the best position to be in ourselves! When we understand that we desperately need God every day of our lives and in deep humility acknowledge our total dependance upon Him, we will find like Paul, that when we are weak then we are strong because it then that the power and glory of God is reveal to us and in us! God uses circumstances, uses people and a host of other things to get our attention so that we will keep our eyes upward looking to Him in our desperation for the help we need! Psalm 141 ties into the two previous psalms with this theme. In Psalm 139 after David speaks of how God marvelously and wonderfully created him, all of a sudden he cries out in verse 19, “Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.” Psalm 140 begins with, “Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men; Preserve me from violent men, Who plan evil things in their hearts; They continually gather together for war.”   Psalm 141 begins with, “LORD, I cry out to You; Make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You”. The enemy was after David again and he needed immediate help. It has been suggested that David wrote this psalm after his cave experience with Saul (1 Sam. 24), or perhaps he wrote it when he was away from the sanctuary during Absalom's rebellion. This psalm reveals David making a number of wise decisions as he faced the attacks of the enemy. He does at least five things. First in verse 1-2, David determines to seek the LORD’s help. Whenever the enemy caused trouble, David's first response was to pray. "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (27:1). He was a man with spiritual insight who understood that he could pray and worship God even if he was away from the sanctuary and had no priest to assist him. Each evening, the Jewish priest would offer a burnt offering on the brazen altar and also burn incense on the golden altar, but God accepted David's prayer and uplifted hands. Frankincense was usually included with the burnt offering. (See Ex. 30:1-10, 34-38; Lev. 2:2.) Incense is a picture of prayer going up to the Lord (Rev. 5:8; 8:4). David's hands were empty but his heart was full of love for the Lord and faith in His promises. Both Ezra (Ezra 9) and Daniel (Dan. 9) prayed at the time of the evening offering. After the second temple was built, this psalm was read when the evening sacrifices were offered and the lamps were lit in the holy place. My friend, in the time of our desperation the first thing we should do is also seek the Lord with our whole heart! “I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4) God bless!