Psalm 142; Acts 17:10-15

Psalm 142
This is a prayer from the "cave." See the headnote. Have you ever felt cornered and desperate in a "cave"? Probably not in a real, physical cave, but we do sometimes feel overwhelmed, or cornered or desperate for other reasons. A cave may have only one way out, and that way may make escape seem impossible so it seems to us there is no way out. These are the times when only God can help. v. 3

"I cry out to the Lord ; I plead for the Lord's mercy. I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles." v. 1-2. God is the heavenly Psychiatrist!

• God hears our prayer. Though this psalm does not specifically verbalize that God hears out prayers, it is understood. v. 1-3; 5-6
• God knows the way we should take, the decisions we should make. v. 3
• God knows our pain. v. 4-5  David felt all alone and abandoned, but he know his Lord was with him. And He is with us too, but we need to listen to His word or we won't feel that support and closeness.  
• God is all we need. "You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life." v. 5 It's hard to imagine coming to this place of complete trust in the Lord.
• God will be praised. v. 7 All the grace He pours out on us and all the good He brings us should cause us to thank and praise Him.

 Acts 17:10-15
Paul and Silas's next stop was a place called Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the synagogue as usual. They found the people of Berea more open-minded that those in Thessalonica. They listened eagerly to Paul's message. And not only that, this passage tells us "they searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth." Thank you, people of Berea, for teaching us how we as Christians should always hear the Word of God taught and preached, AND we should study on our own to make sure we're taught the truth. As a result of their faithfulness, many believed in Berea.

Word of these victories must have trickled back to Thessalonica, because the "preaching police" came and again stirred up trouble. The Bereans sent Paul on his way, while Silas and Timothy remained behind. When Paul reached Athens, he sent word back for Silas and Timothy to join him.