Overwhelmed?

"When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me." Psalm 142:3

I came across this verse in my devotional reading recently. The verse above really stood out to me for a few reasons... 
When we are overwhelmed with the path ahead of us the Lord knows and has planned our future. He has planned every one of our footsteps. He knows what we are going to do every moment. He knows the decisions we are going to make. He knows the hardships we are going to go through. Even though He has planned everything out, we still need to live to honor Him in every single thing that we do. When we are overwhelmed we need to look to The Lord, and keep our eyes fixed upon Him... Not fixed on our troubles. We need to cry out to him when we are despaired, and overwhelmed with our circumstances. He gives us our trials to draw us closer to Himself, to teach us to rely on Him and not on our own strength. 

"I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend unto my cry: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I." Psalm 142:4-6

When reading this passage I was also reminded that when every man is against us the Lord is on our side. He will always care for us. It may seem at times that no one cares for our soul, but the Lord God always cares for our soul. We are His children, and He loves us as a father loves His children.  He knows the path ahead of us, and He is our refuge. Even when our persecutors seem stronger than we are, we have the Lord on our side.

In Christian love,
Jane Ashley