David therefore departed from there, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men. (1 Samuel 22:1–2)
I have been reading through the life of David this week. I identify with David for many reasons. We share the same name. We have a love for God, for poetry, for music, and met God in our teens. I can’t say that I have David’s courage or leadership acumen, but I hope to grow in those areas of my life. One other similarity is that we are both mistake prone. But aren’t we all? I have coursed through his biography a number of times but I have been especially impressed this week with a certain aspect of his life.
David was anointed king when he was probably about 17 years old. He did not become king officially until he was 30. Not only did he have to wait over a decade to realize his calling and step into his anointed position, but many of those years were spent on the run…running for his life. Saul’s jealous rage against David knew no boundaries. He hunted the young future king like an animal. I do not think I can fully grasp what it would be like to have someone chasing after me through the wilderness and the forests for years. I do not know what it would be like to live in caves, have to scrounge for food, and all the while wonder about my uncertain future. If I were David, I’d be questioning why I was selected as king but was being pursued like a fugitive. But this is what really moved me.
While going through what must have been a living hell, David found his refuge in God. He discovered the comfort and security of family. He was surrounded by others, who like himself, were experiencing some tough moments in their lives. David alone was hounded by Saul. But he Himself was not actually alone. Nearly 600 men eventually joined him, fought with him, cheered him on, and put their own lives on the line for him. In addition, it was during this time in his life that David wrote many of the Psalms. Look at the headings of Psalms 52, 54, 59, and 63. These were written in times of distress. Yet David worships and praises God. He catalogues his experience in song and poetry. Never losing his hold of the Lord.
What can we learn from this? That we are never by ourselves…even when we feel that way. There is always God. There is always someone else going through something similar to ourselves. There is always family who will love and support us in our most challenging moments. We can always find refuge in solitary and quiet space, retreating into the sounds of worship music, writing down and journaling our experiences so that we never forget God’s providences in our emergencies. You may be living through your own cave of Adullam. And you are not alone. You may know of someone who is in their worst moment. Will you join them in the cave? Giving them a share of your strength, a piece of your story, and a caring person to lean on? The running won’t last forever. Today, there is a cave. But tomorrow, there is a kingdom.
This Sabbath we will take a break from our sermon series on the Life and Teachings of Jesus. In case you didn't know, Vacation Bible School has been going on since Sunday night and there have been almost 70 kids and many parents showing up every single day. This weekend we will celebrate what God has done and Pastor Silva will speak to us on the topic of Young Ears, Open Hearts. See you then!
Pastor Dean