NOTES for Psa 142
Before us is a plea for help that comes from the heart of an exhausted man. This man is the same David who defeated many enemies and passed through many trials, whom we are accustomed to seeing as an indestructible warrior who handles difficulties splendidly. But now we hear not the voice of a triumphant victor, not the martial call of a mighty warrior accustomed to danger, but the voice of a weak man who hopes in the Lord not only because he is accustomed to walk before Him, but also because there is nothing else to hope in: his own strength is running out and his enemies are growing ever stronger...
It is often precisely the person accustomed to seeing himself as strong who finds it unbearable to admit his own weakness. But David is ready to acknowledge himself as weak, and in this another kind of strength is revealed: inward, inconspicuous, and often unappreciated by those around him. This is the strength of humility, which surpasses outward strength founded on flaunting one’s “toughness.” It is paradoxical, but true: acknowledging oneself as weak before the Lord makes it possible to receive the strength He gives. Self-exaltation founded on boasting of one’s own strength, however, sooner or later leads to its loss.