I cry out to the LORD with my voice; With my voice to the LORD I make my supplication. ² I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble.³ When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk They have secretly set a snare for me. ⁴ Look on my right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul.

⁵ I cried out to You, O LORD: I said, “You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living. ⁶ Attend to 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 Your name; The righteous shall surround me, For You shall deal bountifully with me.” (Psalm 142:1-7)

This is a poem of deep anguish, reflecting a time in David’s life where the  reality of his cave experience was twofold. Not only was he physically in  a cave, cut off from humanity; he was also in an emotional cave, feeling utterly alone. Read the rest of this entry

“God opposes everyone who is proud, but he is kind to everyone who is humble.” James 4: 6 (Contemporary English)

The ever practical James says it all in this verse. “Oppose” in this verse comes from a military term meaning “to battle against.” God resists us, or battles against us, when we are puffed up with pride. That is a battle we can’t win.

In the mist of our struggles, our pride often makes us lash out at God, when in fact, we should be looking inside ourselves for the source of the conflict, our pride. Can you think of times in your life that you have battled or struggled with God? What was the cause? What was the outcome?

Pride … Inflates our Self-Importance
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