Cave Moments

4.27.2012

Psalm 142.1-2 1 I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. 2 I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble. NIV

David may have done some selfish and foolish things in his life, but he never forgot about God – at least he never forgot for very long. In I Chronicles 11 is a list of the valiant warriors who were closest to him and buried in that list down toward the bottom is the name, Uriah the Hittite. Uriah was a casualty of David’s short-term memory loss – it cost Uriah his life; and cost David the lives of two of his own sons.

I’m not sure when Psalm 142 was written: it says in the sub-title: “A maskil of David. When he was in the cave. A prayer.” Notice is doesn’t say, “When he was in a cave…” – it’s, “When he was in the cave.” It may have been when he was running from Saul, it may have been some other occasion; but everyone who read this at that time knew it was when he was in THE cave. It may have been when he was fleeing from Absalom, his son, who thought he ought to wrench the kingdom out of David’s hands. Whenever it was, David was in THE cave, and most folks back then knew when that was.

We might look at this psalm and think, David was in a spiritual cave; at a time in his life when things were dark and dreary in his life; and God seemed distant and aloof. We all go into caves like that. But you have to remember, as David did, that God never forgets us no matter the circumstances and events, or the difficulties and sins of our lives. As our Divine Parent, God prefers that we follow Him and entrust our lives to Him but He also prefers that we call out to Him and confess the things that cause us great pain: the self-inflicted stuff. And it doesn’t matter the darkness or depth of the cave: God is there waiting to hear our cries, our concerns, and our confessions.

That’s why David said, “I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble.” When it hits the fan, who ya gonna go to? In the cave David went to the Lord and despite what was going on, he cried out to the Lord and trusted in Him. The last time you were in the cave, what did you say – to whom did you cry out? I cry out to my wife (and bless her heart, she puts up with me!). But I really cry out to God, and one of my most-often prayed prayers is: “LORD, HELP ME!” If I don’t expect His help I shouldn’t cry out to Him.

But I do expect His help and I do find myself in dark, dank places fairly often these days: life is different and uncomfortable and I don’t necessarily like it. So, I cry out from the cave of doubt and despair, “Lord, help me!” If I’m afraid, I tell God so – if I am tired and depressed, lonely and small, I tell the Lord those things. He is the Only One who will truly listen and truly do something. And sometimes all He says is: I’m here with you and I share your pain; but you must go through this and you must learn – it’s important that you do! So, like David in the cave: I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble.

Adjust or Die

04.26.12

Matthew 13.14-15 14 In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; 15 for the heart of this people has become dull, with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.’

I have always wondered about this prophecy and what it really means. Is it saying that the Lord will be vindictive and not allow them to hear and know – or is it saying there is a means whereby they can hear and know but they have to look and listen in a particular way in order to hear and see properly? I tend to leave out vindictiveness because of the Lord’s nature as I understand it and so I am left with the alternative that says there is another way which is proper and profitable.

Last night I had an epiphany: I realized there was another way for me to live. I have lived for so long in one manner of experience and it seems now that I am being called to another plane of living I have only dreamed about in not always so pleasant dreams. I looked at my present circumstances and realized I have been living largely the wrong way and I need to make adjustments accordingly if I am to continue (which I intend to do: change and continue).

The Lord put David in a place where he had to adjust or die. The Lord spoke to the people in parables so that they had to adjust their thinking and turn to Him and humbly ask: what do You mean? God is not cruel to us, but He also doesn’t make excuses for us either. Just because we don’t initially understand doesn’t mean that there is no understanding – it simple means that there is another way to live life in order to understand. Parables are simply illustrations and examples out of everyday life that help us see how life really works. And if we don’t understand them we need to humble ourselves and ask: what does this mean to me and how am I to live?

I’m to live everyday partially with the expectancy of finding God somewhere in my day. That is the thought that occurred to me. I’ve always thought it was about the American Dream and a paycheck and success and all that – it occurred to me that there is something more important than that, and I have up to this day in my life, lived that way – now I’m to live this way: looking for God in my day.

That means I’m going to have to live differently: adjust or die. And the difference is not looking at God as if He’s vindictive but that He is divinely able to get my attention and help me to live differently than I ever dreamed I could. The people hearing Jesus’ parables were clueless because they couldn’t see the simplicity of: adjust or die. And death is always nothing more than living out our days ignoring God; slugging it out on our own. That’s no way to live.

Today, I am at the beginnings of looking at things differently because of the One who said, ‘…otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.’ I need healed and there is a way to live to get what I need; and all that comes along with it.

Our Attention

04.25.12

1 Samuel 30.6 6 Moreover David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. NASB

Sometimes it just takes a good old-fashioned train-wreck to get our attention – when David least expected it, the Amalekites raided and kidnapped his wife and children (oh, and everyone else’s). David was utterly defeated and for the first time perhaps, in a long while, David came to his senses: he was not the body-guard of a Philistine; he was the anointed of the Lord to rule His people: Israel.

So, it says, David strengthened himself in the Lord his God; smart move, D. Like everyone from time to time David had his moments, both good and bad. This was a combination of the two and got him to see that his charade with Achish was over, and there was more important business to attend to – like saving his family, and saving his life: David’s men were embittered!

In our moments of weakness it isn’t just us who gets affected: it’s also our family, our friends, our church, and to some degree, our community. And those who are counting on us may not understand the inner struggles we face; and to them, it seems it’s merely our abdicating of our commitment to God. David’s men obviously weren’t comfortable in the land of the Philistines and their leader’s decision to live among them. David’s men may have been confused over their leader’s decisions but now that their families and possessions had been stolen, they were downright angry.

David had been suffering from the effects of Saul’s threats and actions and now it was time to do something – especially when his men were bending down to pick up rocks to throw at him. Followers expect leaders to lead: in the right direction; in the safe direction; and in the best direction – followers follow… but they aren’t stupid – they can see inconsistency. David began to see the light.

You know, tough times call for tough actions. But tough times can also lead to irrational thinking and the proverbial plan B (which is really the new plan A after the original plan A is jettisoned.) As I read about David in these chapters it’s apparent to me that he seemed worn out by the incessant insanity of Saul and the murderous plots Saul made against him. Can you blame him? He’d been anointed as the next king but the throne may have seemed like a fantasy to him. It also seems to me that heaven was silent – or maybe he just wasn’t listening.

Let’s make no mistake about this great saint – he was a lot like the rest of us – man after God’s own heart and all. When we hear God but then things begin to move real slow it’s tempting to try to move them along a bit faster: that often leads to disaster; God’s timing is God’s timing and He doesn’t need any help from us. David probably caved to impatience. We need to be careful that we don’t follow him there. Impatience stirs emotions and being emotional impedes our being rational – oh yes, and being humble and patient: God loves those qualities.

Maybe that’s why stuff happens – because maybe the Almighty is attempting to get our attention to keep us from driving our spiritual bus off the proverbial cliff – just saying.

My Only Reasonable Option

04.23.12

1 Samuel 27.1 1 Then David said to himself, “Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape into the land of the Philistines. Saul then will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand.” NASB

If I take the word literally today, I might think that David had talked himself into something. But I think it’s more like David said, “Unless I do something, I will perish one day by the hand of Saul. And so because of the incessant game of Cat and Mouse, David decided to go to the land of the Philistines and live. At least, for a while.

And at least for a while David was pretty good at burning the candle at both ends: appeasing and deceiving Achish the Philistine on the one hand, while avoiding Saul on the other. But ultimately David would have to decide what to do. Sometimes it appears God puts us in a place where we have to wait upon Him and with no idea of how it’s going to conclude, trusting Him with the outcome. David was in that spot.

I think David was under a tremendous amount of pressure during those days. He hadn’t been made king yet though he’d been anointed as such. The king he was to succeed was still alive and breathing murder (along with most of his family members who had much to lose if he lost). And he played a dangerous game of raiding and destroying the remote Canaanite villages and reporting to his host that he was raiding Israelite villages. If one person of his raid survived and brought back word to Achish then David’s head would be in his hands as well as Saul’s.

Sometimes, we come up with what we think is a solution to what we are facing. Sometimes that solution is an attempt to burn the candle at both ends. Sometimes, it seems like God has placed us in a place where that seems to be the only reasonable solution. That is a time when despite all that surrounds us, we need desperately to cling to the Lord: praying for wisdom and insight to make the right decisions and to go the right direction. That is a golden opportunity…if we can see it as such.

Sometimes, it just looks impossible and if we move we lose and if we stay we lose. That is the maddening thing. But God knows and He is teaching us in these times of immense uncertainly to trust in Him to see us through. What happens when we do? Oh the stories told!

Are you in a spot like that today? Are you living among foreigners just to avoid your own people? Are you attempting to burn the candle at both ends? How much time do you think you have left until you get burned? Seek Him, my friend – seek Him and ask Him what to do and don’t stop until He shows you the way. God is working and as tough as it seems, He will see you through – and your faith will grow. Personally, in my current situation, I have committed to God to keep putting one foot in front of the other and trust Him to see where it leads…it’s my only reasonable option.

While You Were Sleeping

04.22.12

1 Samuel 26.24 24 Now behold, as your life was highly valued in my sight this day, so may my life be highly valued in the sight of the LORD, and may He deliver me from all distress.” NASB

It seems like whenever Saul had nothing better to do, he went after David to destroy him. It seems like whenever David embarrassed Saul, things got better for a while but Saul eventually got back around to pursuing David. In this instance in 1 Samuel 26 David once again humiliates Saul by catching him, and his men, sleeping and David steals Saul’s spear and water jug. Once again a golden opportunity to end this appears but David refuses to take matters into his own hands.

Nowadays, politicians are always looking for any golden opportunity to take credit for something. Many of them are shallow and petty and leadership resumes are peppered with all kinds of activities and achievements to show some credit for a job well done. David didn’t want to be remembered as the one who took Saul out. Saul may have been a less than desirable king, but he was king and there were those who voted the party line when he was made king and they weren’t about to stand for the upstart David to take their king away. David was smart and David’s smartness was wrapped up in his relationship with the Lord. David wasn’t about to build a resume without God’s guidance.

So, David takes Saul's spear and water jug, and then from a fairly safe distant yells over to Saul something to the effect of: “Your highness, I got you again! While you were sleeping I could’ve killed you this very night and no one would have ever been the wiser. Now behold, as your life was highly valued in my sight this day, so may my life be highly valued in the sight of the LORD, and may He deliver me from all distress.”

In other words, David, in the sight of many witnesses, and a very embarrassing situation, took his stand with the Lord. As your life was highly valued in my sight this day may the reciprocal be God valuing my life in His sight going forward. It’s a principle of valuation: David respected Saul’s position and title in the sight of God knowing God would reward him for doing so. It’s also a principle of leadership.

We are all called to a measure of leadership simply in this: we are called to value what God values so that He may entrust us with what He values. God values His creatures and His creation; we are called to the same standard if we claim Him as our God. In the secular society in which we live, valuation is fluid, not static. In the life of the child of God in that society we are called to a higher standard to say to our fellow men: Now behold, as your life was highly valued in my sight this day, so may my life be highly valued in the sight of the LORD, and may He deliver me from all distress.”

As God’s children, if we are guilty in society of anything at all, may it be this: we live out our lives respecting where God has placed us, and among whom He has placed us. May we value what He values and then let the chips fall where they may as a result. May how we treat others and how we treat things be a testimony to Whom we serve...

What Men Say

04.21.12

1 Samuel 24.4 4 The men of David said to him, “Behold, this is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.’” NASB

Matthew 8.25 25 And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” NASB

In the account in 1 Samuel 24, Saul kept up his insane pursuit of David in order to kill him; Saul knew David was to be the next king and his own dynasty was going to end. And so when Saul just happens to go into just any old cave to do what men do, David and his men just happen to be in that very cave! Talk about wow! David’s men urge him, “David! You have a golden opportunity to put an end to this thing: look it, the Lord has said, ‘Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.’!” Here’s Saul served up on a silver platter!” But David wasn’t so convinced because he feared God more than he feared Saul and just because it looked like a golden opportunity to others David wasn’t so sure.

Sometimes we go through seasons of difficulty in life when we seem to just be out of sync with the world around us. Maybe we’ve had a spat with a spouse or a relative and the thing just doesn’t seem to want to heal. Maybe there’s conflict at work or with a neighbor and it appears to be escalating and our prayers seem to be hitting the ceiling. Maybe the word from the doctor, or the plumber, or the electrician or mechanic is way worse than we wanted to hear and it’s gonna be very costly. Sometimes what men say is not what we want to hear… or sometimes it sounds like a golden opportunity.

On the marriage front it’s, well I’ll just get a divorce. At work it’s, well maybe I’ll just quit. Or maybe the word from the doctor leaves you crippled in dread and fear of: “what’s going to happen to me – to my family – to my life?” Sometimes what men say or what we say seems like the solution because sometimes it’s what we want to hear and sounds so good, it has to be right…right?

David’s conscience got the best of him – God hadn’t told him to kill Saul – He hadn’t even said to cut off the corner of Saul’s robe. David was tempted for sure, but he was also unwilling to go against what he thought God wanted him to do. And in the boat, the disciples were just simply unaware of Who they were dealing with and how to deal with what was happening to them.

It’s not so important as what men say: but it is absolutely crucial that we know what God says. What may look like a golden opportunity for us; or what may look like certain doom, is merely a moment to look to what God says; that is the moment our faith grows. What God is building in us through those circumstances and what happens to us when we stick with Him despite what men may say (or what is happening to us) is the golden opportunity for our faith, which is more precious than any substance on earth, to grow and our lives to change for the good forever.

The golden opportunities are always there: will we see them for what they are and deal with them according to what God has said? Let’s go with God – amen?

No Match

04.15.12

I Samuel 17.36-37 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the LORD be with you.” NASB

It’s probably best when engaging in battle to know your enemy; Goliath didn’t stand a chance. Yes, he was a giant – just over nine feet tall; and yes he was skilled militarily: he could handle himself in battle. And he was enormously strong; he carried all the current weaponry. But all these things didn’t amount to fine dust on a scale when it came to who he was facing: no one defeats the Living God. Goliath just didn’t know that.

David, on the other hand, was sure of Who stood with him: God. David had killed a lion and a bear. David wasn’t about to let one sheep get stolen by these predators and so when they dared to attack David went after them and killed them, thus rescuing his flock. Animals in nature are ferocious, skilled and by instinct, very dangerous. David didn’t seem to care; all he knew was they took something of his without his permission and he went and got it back. Killing the lion, the bear, or Goliath, it was all in a day’s work for David.

The advantage David had was he knew where he stood and he knew Who stood with him. David had cultivated such a relationship with the Lord that he knew God was with him even in the midst of a battle with a wild animal. David guarded those sheep as if they were the Lord’s own sheep and he conducted himself in battle that way: lion, bear, you don’t stand a chance for you have taken God’s sheep and He is going to get them back! Goliath was no different.

Poor Goliath had made his living by winning through intimidation. But he never knew honor, dignity, respect, or even worship (other than worshiping himself). No one messed with Goliath because he had advantages in a lot of ways: size, strength, skill. But he was only a man and no match for the living God.

In today’s battle, whom do we choose? Do we run from Goliath, the lion, or the bear? Or do we stand our ground in the strength of this thought: you (whatever or whomever) are no match for the Living God. Last week was a terrible week for me – a lot of expense and a little in sales. I stand with the Living God who has promised to provide and who knows exactly what I need before it’s even in my head, or on my tongue. With God it isn’t you win some, you lose some, it’s: He has promised; He is faithful in all things. David understood the promise of God and lived with that mentality.

Maybe our difficulties are designed to see if we’re going to stand our ground in God’s strength and not our own. Had David faced Goliath in his own strength the battle could’ve gone either way. But David met his foe in the strength of God and the battle was already over before it began…David didn’t care – Goliath, lion, or bear you’re no match for the Living God.