*Escaping the Cave of Dark Despair 1 Samuel 22:1-5

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Collin Kennedy
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1 *Escaping the Cave of Dark Despair 1 Samuel 22:1-5 Page 1 of 8 Have you ever been in the Cave of Dark Despair? I think most of us have at some time in our life. If you have, then you know how difficult it can be to escape those dark days. Let s pray and ask God to lead our thoughts as we look into His Word. As we look at David s life in the 22nd chapter of 1 Samuel, we find him at a very low place in his life, living in the cave of Adullam. Let s first take a quick look back and see what brought him to this place. David was the youngest of 8 boys and he got stuck taking care of the sheep. Out in the desert he became skilled with a sling and in playing the harp. Alone in the desert he also got to know God. He was anointed king by the prophet Samuel. Around the age of 17, he faces Goliath, the champion warrior of the Philistines. With just one shot from his sling, he drops that giant of a man and leads the army to a great victory. He became best friends with the king s son, Jonathan and then married the king s daughter. He becomes captain of the king s bodyguard. He became a national hero. He had great success in everything he did, because the Lord was with him. King Saul saw his success and popularity and was very envious. He also became afraid of him even though David was loyal and faithful to Saul. Saul became obsessed with killing David. So David had to ran for his life but he refused to retaliate against God s appointed king. David went to Samuel for advice. He went to Jonathan looking for a solution, but none was found. He went to Ahimelech, the priest of Nob, for food and a weapon and he lied to Ahimelech

2 Page 2 of 8 about his situation. He did not tell him that he was running from the king. David later regretted his part in the death of Ahimelech and his family because Saul killed all of them for helping David. He fled to the land of the Philistines and wound up in the town of Gath. Of all places, the home town of Goliath. David is recognized so he acts crazy to avoid death at the hand of the Philistine king. * David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. (1 Samuel 22:1 NIV) He was at one of the lowest places in his life. He had lost so much. His wife and His friends (he was cut off from contact with them and had no one he could talk to. He was alone in a dark cave, away from everybody he loved. He lost His home His job His income, he did not even have food to eat. He lost His position and prestige His dreams His confidence and His self worth On top of all that, he was struggling with guilt over his moral failure. His lie played a part in the death of Ahimelech and his family. When we cause others to suffer, it causes us great pain. David was wrestling with all that in the cave of Adullam. In many ways, the cave represented where David was in his life. He was in a cave of dark despair. Have you been there? It s the place people find themselves when they have lost hope, when they have failed badly, and been disappointed deeply.

3 Page 3 of 8 The cave of dark despair is often where we engage in pity parties. TS Perhaps, you are walking through some dark days right now! You may be wondering, How do I get out of that cave? *1. Talk to God. Really, pour out your heart to God. Express to him all that you are feeling. Don t hold back. You don t need to worry about telling God too much. He knows all your thoughts before you think them. Expressing it all to God is for our benefit, not His. Listen to this psalm that David wrote while he was in the cave. You can hear in the words just how low David was. *Psalms 142:1 I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. 2 I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. 3 When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me. 4 Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life. NIV David is saying, I don t have anyone who cares for me. Can you feel his loneliness and despair? Now that is talking to God from your heart. Prayer is not saying some memorized words that sound good or reciting some phrases that have no heartfelt meaning. Real prayer is talking to God and pouring out your heart to Him. David is down but he has not lost sight of God. He cries out for the Lord to deliver him. This is where we can see the heart of David and why God calls him a man after his own heart. No matter how bad things get, he still has his heart set on God.

4 Page 4 of 8 David is at a point where God can shape him and use him. The suffering that God allows in our lives is not intended to destroy us, but to mold us in to the likeness of Christ. God is more interested in our character than in our comfort. He longs for us to be just like Jesus. TS So pouring out your heart to God is part of the process of escaping the cave of dark despair. It is also very important that you *2. Focus on what you have, not on what you don t have. Our human perspective says, Look at what I have lost, what I have done, and where I am. But that is not the focus that God wants us to have. Listen to how David focuses on all that he has in his relationship with God. *Psalms 57:1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. *2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills [his purpose] for me. 3 He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; Selah God sends his love and his faithfulness. 4 I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. *5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. 6 They spread a net for my feet I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah 7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. *8 Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. 9 I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. 10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. 11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. NIV

5 Page 5 of 8 David found the precious gold of God s unfailing love and faithfulness in the cave and he focused on that. *Many times we are a little like Jed Clampett. Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed A poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed, Then one day he was shootin at some food, And up through the ground came a bubblin crude. Oil that is, Black gold, Texas tea. First thing you know old Jed s a millionaire... One day Jed is a poor hillbilly, the next he was millionaire. What made the difference? He owned the oil under his feet all the time. He just did not know what he had. If you are a child of God, you are wealthy beyond your wildest dreams. But in the cave of dark despair, it is easy to lose sight of what you have in Christ. *Philippians 4:19 my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. NIV All that we need (physically, emotionally, spiritually) is all ours through the glorious riches of our Lord Jesus. TS. So focusing on what you have, not on what you don t have is part of the process of escaping the cave of dark despair. We also need to *3. Serve God faithfully. Sometimes when you are in the cave, you don t want anyone around and you don t want to do anything for God because you feel so worthless. But that s when we need our friends and family and we need to serve God faithfully.

6 Look at who came to David in the cave. Page 6 of 8 *1 Samuel 22:1 When his brothers and his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there. 2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him. NIV God brought his family to him. This is the father that didn t think to invite David to the feast and the brothers who had looked down on him. But now, they came to David. God knew what he needed. Look at who else came. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented. These were people that David could identify with and that is why they were drawn to him. Men were also drawn to David because they saw a guy who didn t lose his faith when he had every reason in the world to do so. They saw a faith that came alive in trouble, not one that disappeared in hardship. If David had still been the golden boy in Saul s enter circle, these men would not have been drawn to him. Through David s misfortunes, he earned credibility and the ability to speak to others going through tough times. David could have rejected all those that came to him in the cave. That is what we often do when we are depressed. He could have said, I want to be alone in my misery. Do you know what happens when you marinate in your misery? You become a miserable mess. Now these men did not come to just to be with David, they were looking for his help. They wanted him to take care of them and to lead them. No pressure there! David could have said, Forget you! I have got enough problems of my own. I don t need yours too.

7 Page 7 of 8 But oh, what a mistake that would have been! God sent them to David for him to lead them. These men became David s mighty men of valor whose exploits became legendary. All because they found a guy who loved God, even in the worst time of his life and was willing to serve Him in spite of his problems. This was what God was preparing David for. Ministering to others is the best way I know of coming out of the cave of dark despair. But when you are depressed, do you feel like serving God? No, but that is exactly what God wants you to do. As long as you stay focused on yourself, the dark clouds will never clear. When we get our eyes off of ourselves and on to the needs of others, that is when we climb out of the cave. There is nothing that brings greater joy than leading others to follow Christ. Our circumstances may not change (David s didn t) but oh how our attitude will change. Look how it changed David s attitude. *Psalms 34:1 I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 2 My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 3 Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. *9 Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. *11 Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. *19 A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; NIV Perhaps, you are walking through some dark days right now! If you are not, they will come sooner or later. So let s be prepared. How do I get out of the cave of dark despair?

8 Page 8 of 8 *1. Talk to God. Pour you heart out to him. *2. Focus on what you have, not on what you don t have. Focus on God s love and faithfulness. *3. Serve God faithfully. You are not going to feel like it. But do it any way and God s blessings and joy will come in abundance and the despair will fade. Pray

Lonely and Learning. 1. Take responsibility for your actions: Bad decisions lead to bad consequences; seek to make things right.

Lonely and Learning. 1. Take responsibility for your actions: Bad decisions lead to bad consequences; seek to make things right. 1 Beaverton Foursquare Church Sunday A.M. 06-12-16 David part 6 Pastor Randy Remington Lonely and Learning We continue our study of the life of David. We see an anointed King, (after God s own heart) in