Singing Praises In A Cave

Hiding in a dark, gloomy cave for days, weeks, maybe even months had to be a very depressing and bare existence for David. A large portion of his early adulthood was spent on the run from King Saul or some pagan ruler who felt threatened by David's faith in God. Several of David's songs seem to have been written during this spartan period of his life. This one stands out - "I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who knows my way; in the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me....I cry to you O Lord, I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." Psalm 142:1-5 NIV
There are times when we all find ourselves in that gloomy, dark, depressing cave of despair. We can't know how many days and nights David spent sulking because his life just wasn't turning out like he had thought it would. But, at some point his faith found enough traction to look beyond his immediate circumstance.
Faith won't always prevent our short sighted decisions that put us in the cave, but when it finally gets some traction in the heart, it forces us to look forward and upward. The enemy always watches and listens to drag us back into the darkness within ourselves. With good reason the Holy Spirit calls Satan the "prince of darkness". But, praise God for giving us his Spirit to re-energize faith that allows us to see beyond the despair. Just outside the cave there is fresh air and sunshine and a way of escape. Jesus Christ shed his blood to create it. He said, "Come to me and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 Thank you gracious Father. HALLELUJAH!