A Place of Refuge!

1 Samuel 22:1-2 -David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him. NKJV

I’ve been reading through the Old Testament and am currently ending Chronicles. I find that I am always amazed at David and his warriors. Those of us familiar with the scriptures know all about David and Goliath! I get excited when David tells King Saul that he had already killed the lion and the bear, so facing this giant would be just like facing them. When David confronts Goliath and tells him that he’s going to cut off his head and give the bodies of the Philistines to the birds of the air, whew! He is the Alpha male type that romance novels, suspense thrillers, war movies are written about. And yet, one day David realized that King Saul was after his life and he ran to the cave of Adullam.

David ended up in the cave of Adullam. If you look at the picture that I found on Pinterest you can see it wasn’t a comfortable place to find oneself. As people heard about his whereabouts, they went to David. His brothers who had taunted him at the battle against Goliath and ignored him when he was watching the sheep, along with all of his father’s household went to David. Men who were in distress, in debt, and discontented went to him. And he became captain over them.

How would you like to start a team, a ministry, or anything with a group of people who are distressed, in debt, and discontented? Can you imagine all of the attitudes you would have to deal with? Can you just see that David had his own issues, and now everyone with an issue is coming to him? It’s a recipe for disaster, yet David turned it into a recipe for success!

Hurting people don’t all look the same. Some are hurting and because they are so miserable in their lives, they want everyone else to hurt, so they hurt others. Then there are those hurting people who have been abused and when they find someone to see their value, they can forgive, release the hurt, and grow to their fullest potential. Then there are the hurting people who wallow in their hurts, lock themselves away, and they just give up on living altogether, they are in a perpetual pity party. These men who came to David distressed (worried, dealing with great sorrow or great pain); in debt (owing everyone, having nothing to call their own); and discontented (unhappy, not satisfied with life or the way things were going) all showed up in the cave of Adullam, looking for refuge. A weaker person would have rent his garments, put ashes on his forehead and fell on his face, but not David.

I’ve been watching the documentary of the Bulls, “The Last Dance”. We all know that Jordan was a special player and at first they tried to make the Bulls a one man show with Michael. Then Phil Jackson comes along and teaches Michael and the others about being on a team. Once Michael got the concept down, got over having a need to be the “star” all the time, he began working with his teammates, along with Phil Jackson, to help them to be the best players they could be. The Chicago Bulls went on to win six NBA championships! There’s is something about leaders who know how to develop their people. (A later blog!)

In the place of refuge people are seeking safety from being pursued, from danger, or from trouble. That certainly qualified for David! David was on the run for his life because of the anointing and call from God. He was smart enough to know his safety wasn’t in a locale, but in the Presence of the Lord. He wrote Psalm 142 in the cave and he penned that he cried out to the Lord who was his refuge. In another psalm David wrote that the Lord was his saving refuge. In yet another psalm he wrote that the Lord was his rock of refuge. David had already been anointed king, he had already killed the giant, he had already killed his “ten thousands” and now he’s in a cave running from Saul. And yet David did what he had done when he was watching those sheep, he went to God and found refuge in Him.

Then the people began to come to David. Those who were worried about their future with a king who was more bent on killing David then killing the Philistines found a captain who was secure in what God had promised and was able to help them to trust that things were going to work out. Those who were in debt were promised lands and great fortune as they conquered their enemies and took back what the devil had stolen from them. And those who were discontented found something “big” to be a part, something that they could do to help David, their country, and themselves. They saw their king in the place of refuge and pledged their allegiance to him.

If you are in a stay at home situation, you are in a place of refuge. It is not a comfortable place to be. I don’t know about you, but there are some things I really miss; going to church, going out to eat, spending time with my other family members, and I’ll possibly miss my scheduled vacation! I get it! Things like this may cause you to feel distressed, not working could be putting you in more debt, and all of it can cause you to feel discontented with your current situation, but it doesn’t have to get the best of you. Not only are there others just like you, as it was with David, but God is with you, with us through it all! You don’t have to stay the way that you are. NO! You have a captain! His name is Jesus! And He is your refuge, your help in the times of trouble. Don’t spend your time in the cave wallowing in self pity, wasting time, and giving up. Get with your captain and let Him bring healing to your hurts, hope for the future, prosperity for tomorrow. He is more than able. He’s a great leader and have led so many others to victory. I can tell you that I am personally embarrassed over the joy I am experiencing! My heart is so filled with peace, while at the same time it hurts for the loss of so many lives and even livelihoods. But I am dwelling in the truth of Psalm 91!

When we leave the cave of Adullam, we will once again be that warrior, that conqueror, that more than a conqueror that we were before the cave. Some of us are still waging war, as David did from the cave, on our enemy! He hates those of us who are using this time to pray more, to spend more time in the word, to be strengthened by our pastors and others in the body! We will be even better, after this! Continue to allow Him to train you to stand, to fight, to win, to keep your enemy forever running from you while you are in the cave. No matter how long we are at home, it won’t be long. It shall pass! And when the church, the Bride of Christ comes out of the cave, we are going to be a mighty army for the Lord! If we trust Him to be our refuge!Wonderful Jesus!