Submitted to the Cave… Every great move of God has been born through the conception of a prophetic delay. Think about Joseph who received his vision at 17, only to enjoy its fulfillment some 13 years later when finally at the age of 30, after being proven through many trials & disappointments, he was raised up to the saving of nations. Psalms describes this principle of delay: "He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They afflicted his feet with fetters; he himself was laid in irons, until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him" (Ps. 105:17-19 NASB). Now, the part we all hate to see coming. During the delay, the dream tests & refines us. So, the question right now is: how do we respond to the dilemma of our delayed fulfillment of God’s purpose? Look at how David handled it. We see David responding both negatively & positively. At first, we see David in a survival response but in time finding God in such a way that he was changed & therefore prepared/ready for prophetic fulfillment. David was a man engaged in a process with God. Prophetically set apart & anointed for the throne but now standing in the darkness of Adullam’s Cave. As David’s props began to be taken away, one after the other, he probably began to doubt the promises that God had made to him so long ago. But, after a while, people began to show up at David’s cave. First, his family came; then the defeated men of Israel began to show up. David’s family came out of fear of Saul; the rest came because they believed David was God’s man for the future. They would all cast their support with David. They go to David because they believe that he is God’s man for Israel. God used this group of people to show David that He still had a plan for David’s life. I am sure that David could not see in his life what they saw. In the midst of defeat & discouragement, David could only see the cave; but those who came to him could see the crown. They gathered themselves around him & believed in him, even when he was down! Thank God for the encouragers of life! Thank God for those people who can see potential in our lives, when we can see nothing good in ourselves. God has a way of putting people around us who can serve as encouragers in our lives! I praise the Lord for everyone who has looked at my own life & seen potential there that I could not recognize. What an encouragement they have been to this ol’ country boy! There will always someone who stands ready to criticize & cut down; but there are very few who will come along side you during the hard times of your life & lift you up. Going through the pain of seeing everything he had taken away was a painful experience for David. Having to flee from the palace to hide in a cave was humbling as well. However, in that humble hide away, God began the process of transforming David into a great king. God took that group of men & working through David, transformed them into “David’s Mighty Men.” Because God sent these men to David in that cave, David was able to get his mind of his problems & focus his attention on leading them & training them. It was a humble beginning, but David was focused & soon he would walk out of that cave & accept the crown. If there is any one benefit of the cave that stands out, it is the fact that caves have the ability to focus our priorities. When we go into a cave experience, we soon learn what is important & what is irrelevant. The caves help us focus like nothing else! That is what the cave will do for you! It will tighten your focus onto that which is most important: finding & doing the will of the Lord. Sometimes, I think that is why the Lord sends us into the caves. If the cave can do that, then it can’t be all bad, can it? Like David, I don’t know how God will do it, but somehow, while you are in your cave, He will come to where you are & confirm His faithfulness & His promises to you! God will use your cave as a banner to write His love over your life! Elijah had his ravens; Moses had his burning bush; Jesus had His empty tomb. God has a way of showing us that it will be all right. David entered his cave a broken & defeated man. He emerged as the captain of an army of might men. He went in running from a crazy king. He came out reaching out to take the crown. The cave refined David’s life & helped to prepare him for the tasks that lay ahead. He grew in that cave because he submitted to the cave.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Jul 2013 13:52:01 +0000
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