Changing Directions

David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave of Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him 1 Samuel 22:1.

Sometimes it seems like life goes down. Instead of progress, we regress. And no matter how much we pray and believe, things don’t seem to improve or lighten up. As we struggle to make sense of it all, we face the reality that the life of faith may involve long periods of pain and disillusionment.

David went through such a time in his life. He lost his job, his wife and home. He also lost his counselor (Samuel), his best friend (Jonathan), and his self-respect. He became a fugitive; a homeless vagabond with no security, no food and no one to talk to. There was no promise for him to cling to, and no hope that things would get any better. He ended up all alone in a cave, far away from everybody and everything that he loved.

David must have felt that not a soul on earth cared about him. I can imagine him saying, "Lord, I’m at my lowest point; deliver me oh God."

Perhaps you have felt like David. You enter a period of deep, deep despair with no escape. Times like these make us wonder what God could have been thinking about when he made us. But God knew what He was doing when he anointed David king, and He knows all the details surrounding whatever is going on in your life.

God anointed David king because of what He saw in David. On a practical standpoint, David was at his lowest point fighting loneliness and depression. But he was right where God needed him to be. God needs us in a place where He can mold and shape us. His intent is to use us in an awesome way. And if a pit is the place where He gets our attention, then we are in the right place. It may seem like we have reached the end, but God is just changing directions.

You see, being where God needs us to be doesn’t mean we have to be happy. It doesn’t mean we have to know and understand every single detail. It means that God is getting us into a position to do a wonderful work for His glory.

David did not try to justify himself. He did not try and prove his innocence. When he ended up alone, he cried out to God. And the first people that God sent to him was his family. I cannot measure how encouraging it is to have a supportive family. When our ministry first started, before we had the first resource, I preached in my mother’s living room while my wife taught the youth in her den. To this day the financial structure of my ministry consist of the tithes and offerings of my family members and a few faithful partner’s. The work we are building with such a few individuals is nothing short of miraculous.

Many times when people feel like David did, they just want to be left alone. They feel worthless to themselves and to everyone else too. But God doesn’t give up just because we are having a bad day. Not only did David’s family come to him, but other’s came also. And everyone that was in distress, and everyone that was in dept, and everyone that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men 1 Samuel 22:2. At the very time we are ready to exit out of life, that is the time God opens a door.

The men that came to David were fed up with the leadership of Saul. We can mistreat people only so long, and they will leave. If we lose enough key people, our ministry will feel it. We can’t always replace good people. There is no justification to abusing people and treating them like a worthless commodity. God values people and so should we.

After a while the very cave David used to escape life became the training camp for his mighty men. David started his kingdom in a cave. The Spirit-filled life is not always spent on a mountaintop. People think that if they aren’t on the mountaintop, they are out of the will of God. But it’s not so. God is just changing directions. It only takes a moment to get saved (depending upon which church you go to). But to become all God wants us to be takes a lifetime. That means marching to God’s drumbeat while others are humming a different tune. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ Philippians 1:6.

Sometimes life gets dry like a desert. All we feel inside is emptiness. Admit that need to God and ask Him for help. To face our needs doesn’t mean we are weak. Neither does it mean we are a super saint if we don’t admit our needs. God knows exactly where we are, therefore it’s smart to consult God anytime and every time we feel stressed.

The main cause of David’s problem was Saul. This one person made life for David intolerable. We will always have people that misunderstand our motives; who feel threatened by us; who are jealous of us. We can either fight back or leave it to God. If we choose to fight back, we become like them. God sees it all, so leave it to Him.

Adversity is coming. This life will present us with opportunities to give in to discouragement and despair. Things happen that cause us pain and disappointment. Many of our good intentions may end in failure and misunderstanding. If we have nowhere to go, we are in trouble. The Lord is my refuge and strength; a present help in trouble Psalms 46:1. We can’t make it in life without a refuge. We need a place to go; a safe place where we can rest and heal.

God is that place of refuge. He will be there when the devastating blows of adversity bear down on us. He will be there when the sharp words of criticism thrust us through. He will be there when we feel that no one knows or even cares that we are alive. He will be there when our calling gets cloudy and our vision gets dim.

It can happen to us at any time, and we find ourselves in a situation of total helplessness. God is just changing directions. He is getting us out of our comfort zone. But no matter how dim the path appears to be, God is right there with us every step of the way. Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me Psalms 55: 1,2.