Don't Cave in While in Your Cave

O. T. 1403  "Don't Cave in While in Your Cave"
March 18, 2019
Psalm 142
I cried unto Thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.
Psalm 142:5

LET IT GLOW

David caved in within his cave. What do I mean by that? While fleeing from pursuit, David hid in a cave on two occasions. The cave of Adullam, we read about in 1 Samuel 22, and the second was in the cave of En-gedi, found in 1 Samuel 24. David had thousands of armed men looking to kill him. Since we are not sure which cave he was in while he composed this psalm, it was preserved for us to read this day.

As mentioned earlier, we drove by one of these caves while in Israel. The area is dry, rocky, and mountainous. It was a place where goats and shepherds could find refuge from the extreme summer heat (120 degrees). The Dead Sea is in front of the cave, but it is full of salt. In fact, our guide said it is 7 times saltier than any other body of water.. (Not a luxury hotel for a future king)

While in this desperate situation, surrounded by evil men, in his prayer to God, David declared in our key verse:

• God is his refuge, which means shelter; hope; trust.
• God is his portion in the land of the living. Portion refers to allotment; inheritance; part.

Frequently David looked to God as his refuge, shelter and hope. Not only was he wanting God to hear his prayer, but to act and deliver him from persecutors. He caved in, so to speak, in a cave. Sounds like David gave up, with only one hope of God doing something to rescue him, least he be killed there.

Lydia Brownback, in her book, Sing A New Song, says:

We won't trust God if we believe He demonstrates His love by preventing every crisis. To the contrary. God's love leads to caves. So long as we are surrounded by friends and a multitude of options, we don't fully lean on Him, and only when we fully lean do we discover that He is everything He has promised to be. No matter our trouble, we can be confident of rescue, of receiving the mercy David pleaded for (verse 1), because of what God did in a different cave-the tomb of Jesus. The Son of God lay dead in that cave, but after three days He was brought out alive.

We know that David's life did not end in that cave, nor did Jesus' life. Jesus is alive now, waiting for us to seek His deliverance for us when we are in our cave. So don't cave in, but turn to our loving Savior.

Dear one, I looked into what is believed to be the tomb hewn out of a hillside (a part of Golgotha, the Place of the Skull). Jesus is not inside, as the women discovered on that Easter Sunday morning, for He is sitting at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us, His children.

Glory to Jesus! Hallelujah!


LET IT GROW

Do you see David's faith in his God as he pours out his heart to Him in verse 2? David was overwhelmed by his circumstances, but God was not. David felt utterly alone, seeing no way out.
Our most earnest prayers often arise from our most hopeless situations. Faith told David that God was sufficient and more than enough to meet his needs.

We read in 1 Samuel 24:16 that after David spoke to Saul, Saul recognized David's voice and wept aloud. Saul admitted that David was more righteous than he was. (David could have killed Saul instead of cutting off a piece of his robe while Saul was in a vulnerable position.) Saul went home after that.

In conclusion, David would praise Jehovah when he was rescued. The righteous shall compass me about. They would circle about David making him a crown of praise to his Deliverer. We join David in giving praise to David's deliverer.

Has God ever delivered you from a cave? It may have been a house we hid inside or drugs or alcohol that became a place of refuge from problems that was your cave. God can deliver you today from your cave, friend. Ask him as David did. Then praise Him.

LET IT GO

Jesus, thank You for being my refuge, my cave, when I was hurt by another.
Your love never fails, but continues to flow.
Your are my deliverer.
Glory to Your name!