Thy Strong Word - Psalm 142: With ☧ at Cave Bottom, Faint Spirit to Arise

Rev. Kevin Parviz, pastor of Congregation Chai v’Shalom in St. Louis, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 142.

“When my spirit faints within me, you know my way! In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.” David didn’t always feel the Spirit powerfully guiding his every move; sometimes he felt alone and uncertain. Much darker than Psalm 57, Psalm 142 offers a lamentation from the bottom of David’s soul, providing a way for God’s people later to make sense of the spiritual caves we find ourselves in. Even when we see no son of David reigning on the throne, we are consoled by David’s Son and Lord Christ, who knows our loneliness. Together, we all call out for resurrection, when we will no longer be surrounded by traps—when “the righteous will surround me.”

Lutheran Heritage Foundation - Underwriter of Thy Strong Word — Underwriter of Thy Strong Word

Thy Strong Word is a daily in-depth study of the books of the Bible with host Rev. AJ Espinosa and guest pastors from across the country. Thy Strong Word is graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation and produced by the LCMS Office of National Mission.

Psalm 142

You Are My Refuge

A Maskil^[a] of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.

142 With my voice I cry out to the Lord;
with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.
²I pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.

³When my spirit faints within me,
    you know my way!
In the path where I walk
    they have hidden a trap for me.
⁴Look to the right and see:
    there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
    no one cares for my soul.

⁵I cry to you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my refuge,
    my portion in the land of the living.”
⁶Attend to my cry,
    for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
    for they are too strong for me!
⁷Bring me out of prison,
    that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
    for you will deal bountifully with me.

Footnotes

Psalm 142:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. esv.org

Rev. AJ Espinosa

It’s no coincidence that the favorite hymn for Rev. AJ Espinosa, host of Thy Strong Word, is Thy Strong Word. Working on his PhD from Concordia Seminary St. Louis, Pastor Espinosa takes breaks from his studies by beating the competition in his favorite video and board games, reading “Mere Christianity,” or getting some quality sleep. When he’s not mixing curries or whipping up a fresh flan for dessert, you may find him researching cryptocurrency, watching Star Trek Discovery, or jamming out to the Coco and Moana Spanish-language soundtracks (with his daughter, of course). Pastor Espinosa lives in California, where he enjoys time at the beach with his wife, Gaby, precious little girls Ellie and Natalie, and exceptionally friendly black cat Heike.