In verses one and two of Psalm 143, David intreats God to hear his prayer because of God’s righteousness and God’s faithfulness. In verses three through six, David describes his desperate situation. How alone, how overwhelmed, how desolate he is! Even God seems far away and he thirsts after God.
First David talks about what the enemy did to him. “For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.” (Psalm 143:3) David was persecuted by the enemy, not just his life but his very soul. He was dwelling in darkness, feeling as if he had already been dead a long time. This persecution and darkness made David feel very alone and crushed and weighted down. He describes how he felt in verse four, “Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.” This verse makes quite a picture. “Overwhelmed” means, “overcome completely, crushed, covered completely as with a flood, submerged.” Also, the word “desolate” means, “laid waste, devastated, barren, deserted, left alone.” David did not simply describe his condition as “desolate” but said that his heart within him was desolate. We often think of David as a great king and powerful and a man of war. However, this was not always David’s condition. At the time he wrote this psalm, he felt completely alone and empty.
Verses three through six of this psalm give a great description of the condition of a lost person without Christ – soul persecuted by the enemy; dwelling in darkness; long dead; and a lonely, empty heart. Yet, David was a man after God’s own heart, the apple of God’s eye (See Psalm 17:8). When a Christian is feeling downhearted, afraid, empty and desolate, this is often looked upon as a weakness in that Christian. After all, the Christian has the Lord, he has the Holy Spirit, he has eternal life, he has a hope in heaven. But the Bible shows plainly, from the psalms and other portions of Scripture, that those who trust in the Lord often find themselves in times of darkness, danger, fear, loneliness and emptiness.
One thing David did to help himself during the discouraging time he was going through was to remember the works of the Lord. He said, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.” (Psalm 143:5) Perhaps one of the most exciting descriptions of the works God had done on David’s behalf can be found in Psalm 18. How mighty God had showed Himself to be on David’s behalf! David thought on all the things that God had done. To “meditate” means “to ponder, to keep one’s mind fixed upon it to study, to consider and weigh something.” To “muse” means “to ponder, to converse with oneself, to speak or utter.” Thus, we see that David took time to go over many things that the Lord had done, to ponder them, to study them, and to talk to himself about them. The works of the Lord were the things that occupied David’s time while he was frightened, empty and alone.
Though David could bring to mind the many great works and deliverances of the Lord in his life, he knew this is what he needed yet again. He felt desperate and dry and reached up and cried out to the Lord to be his help. He thirsted for God. He longed desperately for Him. “I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.” (Psalm 143:6) There were other times that David expressed his intense thirst for God. One of these instances can be found in Psalm 63:1 where David says, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.” David knew that a thirst for God is a thirst that will be satisfied. In Psalm 63:3-5 he expressed his confidence, “3) Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 4) Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. 5) My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.”
Do you feel overwhelmed, desolate, empty and alone? Does it seem like your path is leading through a way of darkness with no light to be seen? Thirst after God. It is a thirst that will be satisfied. “For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” (Psalm 107:9)
References used
Thorndike-Barnhart Comprehensive Desk Dictionary, © 1967
Strong’s Concordance and
Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913