God Knows - Psalms 140-142

Psalms 142:3 (ESV Strong's)
When my spirit faints within me,
you know my way!
In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.

God Knows

Psalm 142 is a song-prayer that was written by David when he was alone and in a cave.   He was on the run from King Saul, who wanted to kill him.   He had others in his life, but they were not the best type of support for hm.  Note:

1 Samuel 22:1-2 (ESV Strong's)
David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.

How can you be lonely when you are surrounded by 400 people?   Because the 400 people we not walking with God and did not know how to point David back to the ONE who fills all loneliness:  God.   In this lament David cries out to God and acknowledges the key to the song-prayer.  David states that “when my spirit faints within me” he remembers that God “knows my way.”   He knows that in the path in front of him (unknown where that might bring him) lies “hidden” traps for him.   Yet, he can rest in this time of loneliness in the fact that God knows about those traps and will care for David despite those traps.  

This is the blessed assurance of this psalm.   David does not jump up and down because he believes that God is going to remove those traps, however.   He simply rest assured that God knows about the traps in front of hm and will care for him.  He goes on to sing/write/pray:

Psalms 142:4-5 (ESV Strong's)
Look to the right and see:
there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
no one cares for my soul.
I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”

God is NOT always going to remove the traps the world has set for us.  But, we can travel our day’s journey knowing that the path we are on is known to God, He knows the traps others set for us and, if He does remove them, will walk beside us and carry us through them.   That is the act of faith.  God is the God who knows our path and knows what is on the path.   He will continue to carry us through it.