Angels are the Lord’s messengers; they do his bidding. This angel, in the empty tomb, had words for the women to give to His disciples… and Peter. Peter is singled out. He was a disciple so the general instruction certainly applied to him, but the Lord appended the address for this message to Peter, by name. And no wonder. I’ve experienced emotional turmoil in my life, but nothing compared to the heights and depths that Peter experienced over these few days. His heart rose with the joyous shouting of “Hosanna” at the triumphal entry and sank as Jesus cried out “my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” on the cross. Peter’s sorrows were intensified since he had boasted of his loyalty only to deny him three times right in Jesus’ view while He was in the midst of His trials. Peter’s soul must have dropped with a thud when he caught Jesus’ eye following his third insistence that he did not even know the man. He wept bitterly.

But oh, what high hope, what lift when he heard that the Lord’s instructions to meet Him in Galilee were addressed to him in particular. What healing words. What comfort. Yes Peter, you arrogantly boasted of your loyalty, you violently struck out with the sword without call, and in cowardice you denied the Lord three times. But listen, the Lord has risen and is calling His disciples… and you! You may have been faithless but He is remaining faithful to you. You are not cut off. The Lord still speaks your name. You are still chosen and called. The time for bitter tears is over – run, see for yourself – Jesus is alive, and He is calling you to Himself by name. He is calling you to His presence and He will have words for you, words to cement your humility, words to confirm His love, words to call you into service for His people. Wipe away your tears Peter and run to meet your savior – He loves you by name, and His love is everlasting!

O Lord personalize your grace to me – help me to hear my name in your promises. Let me hear my name so that my soul might be lifted and my heart may exult in being called to Jesus. Amen.

Psalms 142:6

David’s spirit was overwhelmed and had fainted within him. His emotional stress was unavoidable since his life was threatened by enemies who sought to kill him, and they had the upper hand. David’s emotions did not run opposite to his circumstances. As a result he was troubled, he complained, and felt trapped. He felt weak and imprisoned. David’s piety however is that in such a low state he sought the Lord. He did not just cry; he cried to the Lord. He did not just pour out complaint; he poured out his complaint to the Lord. He did not just declare his troubles; he declared his troubles before the Lord.

Being overwhelmed was not just a result his external circumstances, his circumstances pressed him, but the fainting of his inner spirit in the circumstances caused him even more distress. His emotions were sapped, his joy had dried up. The piety of David though, is seen in where he directed his distress, or rather to whom it was directed. David’s feelings of being trapped resulted from the reality that he was in fact trapped in a cave. All the distress associated with such circumstances, caused his spirit to be brought low.

While in such a spiritually depressed state David does not pen Psalm 27. In Psalm 27 David declared God’s salvation and in it he deeply rejoices in God’s beauty. No, while in the cave he writes Psalm 142 where he pours out his complaint. But there is a connection between the two Psalms. In Psalm 27 David was looking back on having been delivered, and looking back he deeply rejoices in God’s faithfulness. God’s faithfulness to him in that time of trouble established his confidence that God was in total control, and that He would deliver him in this current trouble. David was trained to seek the Lord by such trials. By such refining he came to expect a true deep satisfying joy in the Lord would invariably follow such times.

Therefore in Psalm 142, when David finds himself yet again in trouble, even though his spirit faints, he is trained to lift up his head. He may have been “in prison,” physically trapped in a cave, and of course emotionally distressed, but rather than grumbling in darkness he sticks his head out between the bars to glimpse the light just outside his cell; he cries out to the Lord. His feelings of despondency are real, but they do not keep him from seeking the Lord! Such downcast moments only deepen his cry for the Lord. They remind him that the Lord is his true refuge and his portion forever.

David’s piety is also seen in how he acknowledges is that God was totally in control of his circumstances and in control of the condition of his spirit, “when my spirit was overwhelmed within me thou didst know my path.” David does not dismiss God from the circumstances or from his current emotional state. Instead he appeals to God to rescue, deliver, and restore him both circumstantially and emotionally. David knows that a genuine and deeply satisfying thanksgiving to God will soon follow, because he trusts that God will deal bountifully with him. However, David does not “jump the gun.” He does not break into a jubilant exaltation yet, for he is still trapped, and his spirit is still in a state of tears. It may be harmful for us to speak peace to our own hearts before God speaks peace.

John Owen in “The Mortification of Sin” Wrote:

“In case God disquiet the heart about the guilt of its distempers, either in respect of its root and indwelling, or in respect of any eruptions of it, take heed thou speakest not peace to thyself before God speaks it; but hearken what he says to thy soul… This is a business of great importance. It is a sad thing for a man to deceive his own soul herein. All the warnings God gives us, in tenderness to our souls, to try and examine ourselves, do tend to the preventing of this great evil of speaking peace groundlessly to ourselves; which is upon the issue to bless ourselves, in an opposition to God… it is the great prerogative and sovereignty of God to give grace to whom he pleases (“He hath mercy on whom he will,” Rom. 9:18; and among all the sons of men, he calls whom he will, and sanctifies whom he will), so among those so called and justified, and whom he will save, he yet reserves this privilege to himself, to speak peace to whom he pleaseth, and in what degree he pleaseth, even amongst them on whom he hath bestowed grace.”

I think remaining God-centered and continuing to cry out to God while in such low states – truly anticipating by faith the joy and thanksgiving to come, is better than trying to twist my emotions against their actual current condition and thereby praise from false spirit. Rather, I should not cease to praise – for God is always worthy of it, but in such times my praise should be like David’s here in Psalm 142. Truthful, honest about my complaints, always directed to God, always working to strengthen my soul’s satisfaction in Him alone, always clinging to hope that God will deliver, and truly anticipating the joy to come and the peace that will come when I can bring true, deep, soul drenched thanksgiving to Him.

God will deliver, and joy and thanksgiving will flow. My praise will reach its culmination having been anticipated with tears, it will be rich, full, and genuine. God wants my praise, and I want to give Him my best, fullest, and most genuine praise. Often God needs to squeeze it out, and I’m happy to be squeezed if it will produce the true oil of joy and gladness in Him.

Thank you, Jesus, for directing my path. Thank you that you work everything out, even distresses, to deliver me from the world and set my joy in you. Help me Lord to take heed to my spirit, knowing its true condition that I might seek you deeply and fully, and praise you deeply from the heart. I love you and need you. In your name. Amen.

Jesus upon hearing of John’s death was saddened. He felt so sad that he had to get away by himself and be alone. Who knows what he felt, and how he prayed while on the boat. Certainly, his own fast-approaching death must have weighed heavily on his heart. His emotions were apparently so strong he had to withdraw for a time. Yet, what takes place next shows that rather than his sorrow leading to self-pity, it led to compassion. I have such a hard time understanding how sorrow can exist without self-pity. Praise God that Jesus is perfect and was able to experience sorrow without sin or self-pity!

When Jesus returns to shore he is not irritated, annoyed, or angry that the multitudes clamored after him. Had self-pity been resident in his heart, like it would be in mine, his response would have been resentment rather than compassion. Instead His response to the needy multitude was compassion. This is astounding to me. Here at a low point emotionally, with massive neediness foisted upon Him, He responded with heartfelt compassion! What a man! How merciful, loving, and strong is my Lord Jesus!

Could it be that sorrow, when filtered and comforted by the grace of God, is among the chief means by which God produces true compassion in the heart of his saints? 2 Corinthians 6:10 says that Paul was and his companions were “sorrowful yet always rejoicing.” I must confess that I have not very often had this experience. For me lack of pain equals more rejoicing and felt sorrow equals despondency. Not so for Jesus, and perhaps, if by grace He changes my heart, not so for me.

O Lord, please change my heart. I don’t want to be morose, yet I do want to feel the way I ought to feel with regard to sorrow, yet always be rejoicing in you. Perhaps, that I might be a vessel through which the God of all comfort can strengthen the faith of his saints that they might rejoice more deeply in the glory of God, and in the excellence of Jesus Christ. Amen.