Cave Moments

With my voice I cry out to the Lord; with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord. I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him. Psalm 142:1-2 ESV

When David wrote Psalm 142, he was facing a formidable challenge: not only was he hiding from the Philistines, who perceived him as a threat, but he was also fleeing from King Saul.

With so many people seeking to end his life, David fled to the cave of Adullam, where he poured out his heart to God.

Note that David didn’t gloss over his cave moment. Verse 6 reads, “Attend to my cry for I have been brought very low. Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.”

In that cave, David admitted to feeling overcome — by his emotions, by his circumstances, by his enemies—a far cry from the David who confronted Goliath.

Likewise, following Christ doesn’t mean we won’t have ‘cave moments.’ But we don’t let those ‘cave moments’ win.

They may refine us, but they won’t define us.

Ultimately, David’s faith was not misplaced, for God miraculously delivered him. Trust me, in due time, He will do the same for you.

Prayer: Lord, use those cave moments to refine me and make me fit for your service. Remind me, on those dark, lonely days, that this cave is only for a time and not my destiny. In your name I pray, Amen.

Thought: Caves are the place where we encounter God. It’s the place where he makes us fit for whatever he calls us to be. It’s the place where we are stripped of everything and offered God’s everything instead.