For Dear Life

David was no stranger to caves. From the darkest place came his highest praise. Like you, he was no stranger to adversity. I can just hear the faint echo of water as it drops around him. Every few hours he looks and listens, wondering if the coast is clear. Among other hardships, when David wrote Psalm 57, King Saul was trying to kill him (1 Sam 24). But the young shepherd did what sheep need to do and cried out loudly to the only One who could help him, the only One who could hold him, and the Only one with him in his refuge until the storm passed. From the darkness he wrote:

“I’ve run to you for dear life. I’m hiding out under your wings until the hurricane blows over. I call out to High God, the God who holds me together.(v.1-3) I’m ready, God...ready from head to toe, ready to sing, to raise a tune (v.7,8) I’m thanking you, God, out loud...the deeper your love, the higher it goes; every cloud is a flag to your faithfulness.” (v.9,10)

The safest place for David to go until his storm passed was a cave. Some days I want to join him. I want to duck my head as I step inside - and ask the man whose heart I want - to please scoot over. I then lean my back up against the wall, slide down, sit and hide. Best part is, when he starts to sing, I know the words. You do too. The end of Psalm 57 is a familiar praise. If you're in here with us - if adversity calls for the cave - this is me scooting over. From the darkest place comes our highest praise. In fact, I think David is about to sing. I say we join him.

"We exalt Thee. We exalt Thee. We exalt Thee, O God. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth."

Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: Do you find comfort in hearing David sing? When you and I go through hardships, what is our default reaction? Is it to hide and sing? It's something, but caves can come in all shapes and sizes. Some look like offices, some are shaped like cubicles, others look like the gym or the living room. We know our way around caves, amen?