When You Find Yourself in a Cave—Two2Grow, Tuesday, September 29
When You Find Yourself in a Cave—Two2Grow, Tuesday, September 29
“Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name.” Psalm 142:7 NIV
Have you ever felt like the circumstances of life placed you in a cave? You feel lonely, constricted, it is dark, cold, and all you hear is the echo of your own voice.
I believe everyone who pursues God’s will for their life will at some point end up in a cave-like situation. When you do, Psalm 142 instructs us on what to do.
King Saul had fallen out with David and wanted to kill him. David hid in a cave and in the darkness of the rock the Holy Spirit inspired him to write this psalm. I encourage you to take a moment and read it. It is very short. As you do, notice the key elements that will help us during our cave moments:
1: Be real with God. David was honest with God about his circumstances and how he felt. He put words to his sense of loneliness and vulnerability. He basically says, “No one cares.” He doesn’t talk to God in a way that he thinks God wants to hear.
2: Seek God. The most important part is that David lifts his eyes away from the present and looks to God. Note that David uses his being alone in the cave as an opportunity to seek and cry out to God. He didn’t just think his prayer. He was passionate in his pursuit. Cave-time is not meant to binge-watch the latest series or pull an old comforter over your head. It is time to seek God.
3: Trust God. An amazing theme in the midst of the darkness is David’s deep trust. In all three parts of the Psalm, he voices his faith. This is how one Bible scholar outlines the Psalm:
Verses 1–3a: Appeal to be heard and expression of trust.
Verses 3b–5: Complaint and expression of trust.
Verses 6–7: Petition, complaint, and expression of trust.
Note that each part has expressed trust as key. Do like David: Don’t just think your trust in God. Speak it. Write it. Sing it.
God allows us to get into a cave because it strips away everything else and distances us from people and so makes us to be real with God, seek God, and trust God.
God heard David from the cave. He delivered him and fulfilled the promise of making him king. God will do the same for you when you act like David did in his cave.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD
Have you ever felt like the circumstances of life placed you in a cave? You feel lonely, constricted, it is dark, cold, and all you hear is the echo of your own voice.
I believe everyone who pursues God’s will for their life will at some point end up in a cave-like situation. When you do, Psalm 142 instructs us on what to do.
King Saul had fallen out with David and wanted to kill him. David hid in a cave and in the darkness of the rock the Holy Spirit inspired him to write this psalm. I encourage you to take a moment and read it. It is very short. As you do, notice the key elements that will help us during our cave moments:
1: Be real with God. David was honest with God about his circumstances and how he felt. He put words to his sense of loneliness and vulnerability. He basically says, “No one cares.” He doesn’t talk to God in a way that he thinks God wants to hear.
2: Seek God. The most important part is that David lifts his eyes away from the present and looks to God. Note that David uses his being alone in the cave as an opportunity to seek and cry out to God. He didn’t just think his prayer. He was passionate in his pursuit. Cave-time is not meant to binge-watch the latest series or pull an old comforter over your head. It is time to seek God.
3: Trust God. An amazing theme in the midst of the darkness is David’s deep trust. In all three parts of the Psalm, he voices his faith. This is how one Bible scholar outlines the Psalm:
Verses 1–3a: Appeal to be heard and expression of trust.
Verses 3b–5: Complaint and expression of trust.
Verses 6–7: Petition, complaint, and expression of trust.
Note that each part has expressed trust as key. Do like David: Don’t just think your trust in God. Speak it. Write it. Sing it.
God allows us to get into a cave because it strips away everything else and distances us from people and so makes us to be real with God, seek God, and trust God.
God heard David from the cave. He delivered him and fulfilled the promise of making him king. God will do the same for you when you act like David did in his cave.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD