For Cave Dwellers Only, Part 2

Sometimes we are tempted to buy into the false notion that those who follow God and keep his commandments will never encounter another problem will never feel lonely. Never become disappointed. Well, today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll debunks the site because of the convincing evidence found in first Samuel 20 in this passage we find David on the run. The flagrant betrayal of his friends and was painful. And if you missed any portion of yesterday's program will have the benefit of hearing Chuck's summary he titled his message for cave dwellers today among Christians.

But the Christian life. One after another, just flooring it is not. It includes the cave and if you're there tonight.

I say to you, it is all part of the strategy, the conversion of the soul is the miracle of a moment, the making of a saint is the task of a lifetime. And God is about to give up even when you're in a cave. He's not through even though you're the lowest you've ever been.

There was no comfort. And frankly, there was no hope. Back in first Samuel 22. Everything seemed lost. Now here only. This part of the message you hear only half of it. I want to feel the dampness of the cave even for some who were on the mountaintop, at least imagine what it must've been like he has nothing nothing now since we believe in a sovereign God, we are convinced that when he brings us to nothing.

It is to reroute our lives not to end our lives. Human perspective says you've lost this loss that lost that you have caused this. You have caused that you have ruined this. You have ruined that life God says no no you in the cave. Reroute your life.

Your first direction is wrong is exactly what he does with David and David hangs out no shingle.

David advertises no need accept the God he is alone in a cave, and for all he knew, nobody else knew it was there and that depressed state away from everything and look at what God did look at the challenge we get what it involved. David departed from there and escape to the cave of a dollar and the clicker came when his brothers and all his father's household heard of it. They went down there to him that your student of the life of David. You don't have to remember to hard to come to that place.

When in the recent past. His family didn't even know he was existing his father did not bring him as a possible candidate for the kingship. Remember that he left about the field and said you had to say is this all your sons know about a boy that keeps the sheep he was even significant to his father and when he went to the battle and he was going to take up arms against Goliath's brothers Delia Schama and the other stood there. We know the naughtiness of your heart. You're here to be saying that, but here he is broken at the end without crutches and would you look those brothers and the father and the household went down to him. Melanie had a practical note, when you're in the cave.

You want people around if you been involved in leadership very much. There are times that you can't stand to be with people you hate to admit it publicly. In fact, usually don't. But it's true.

Sometime you just want to be alone and I have a feeling that this cave dweller David wanted nobody around because if he wasn't worth anything to himself and say is worth anybody else. It's kind of a worm theology. I'm no good. I am I am fuzzy and ugly and scratchy and etc. etc. nobody wants to be around me there to start itching type of thing. David didn't want his family, but they came look at that God brought people to David and I'm convinced he didn't want them.

But God brought them and they went to him.

They crawled in the cave with that they came to him.

I look something else.

They were the only ones strangers came. What a group everyone who was in distress under pressure under stress. So, here came a body of pressured people.

Second, there were those who were in debt. And third, there were the Marinette fish which means to be in full to have been used in wrong and mistreated been used and got to have been wrong and been mistreated that group K was always mean well, it means that in that day. The land was aching under the rule of Saul. Saul had overtaxed the people he had used them. He was a bad man given to intense depression and they were suffering the consequences that can standing longer, so there were these people who were depressed and and dad and discontented and they were malcontents. There was a cave full of malcontents and look at the next chapter. Chapter 23 verse 13 then David and his man 600. It says they arose and departed from Kiana goes on to tell stories of battle and victory in battle. Now don't you see something you wouldn't get this, but just glancing over the cave. The dolmen and zinging on to something else want you to see and what you feel it. God is re-routing the life of David sure he's in the cave sure he feels worthless. He feels useless. He feels mistreated.

He feels misunderstood these in the cave and his brothers come.

His family comes and then before long strangers begin a drop in how the word traveled but before long there were 600 people who became his ministry. See what it says says he became captain. He accepted the leadership over them. Do you know that these man became David's mighty man and they became his cabinet when he took office to turn these lives around so that he built into them character and direction. What a crucial decision not to walk away, he became the captain there is a ministry that's going on in our church that doesn't get a lot of Madison Avenue pizzazz but is going on. It's a ministry to the misunderstood single parents. Some of you are here tonight.

I was just slipped a note by one of the gals was working with the single parents and she told me that now the mailing list numbers, 160 160 single parents who for one reason or another. The mates are chosen to walk away and they're left with the assignment of rearing children against all kinds of odds in our church is a couple there are several couples that work with these but I'm thinking of one in particular that did not know God's direction for their lives until they were as it were in the cave and in walked 160 hurting people who held out their hearts in their hands and said if you help us. Could we just meeting your home and could you enable a helpless and enabled up to find enablement so that we can cope their ministry that beautiful a whole redirection so that now this couple has their hands full.

David became like a Robin Hood.

That was his style, you know earlier, all of his battle was done in full Israeli armor under the auspices of Saul all the finest of equipment. Now, he was held up in a cave with a group of mavericks because God wanted him to become a maverick King Israel never saw a king like David when he finally took the throne because he was beaten all the way down and there was no but and when he looked up, God brought this crew to him.

Little by little, until finally they became mighty men of Israel. Look at Psalm 142 look at two others. He wrote Psalm 57 was the next one we don't know what order he wrote the exam, but it seems to fit in a backwards order 142 when he was at his lowest moment on his face. Psalm 57 when he is on his knees and then finally Psalm 34 what is on his feet.

But before we look at that look at 57 be gracious to me. Oh God, be gracious to me. Maybe this is when the strangers begin to come in the cave notice. This is a mixed time of David when he fled from Saul in the cave always noticed the superscription under the title of the song because I will tell you the context if it's known as what is in the cave gracious to me. My soul takes refuge in the end of the shadow of thy wings. I will take refuge in notice is looking up no longer just looking within. I will cry to God most high God, who accomplishes all things for me. He will send from heaven and save me. Verse four my soul is among the lions here. The man sharing the cave. The liens I must lie among those who breathe forth fire.

Even the sons of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows there. Tom, the sharp sword. If you've ever worked with malcontents, you know that's true. They are thankless, thoughtless body of people so overwhelmed with their own needs. They don't pay attention to your needs as a leader there there sucking there draining from you the things that they need in from recess to God. Verse five be exalted above the heavens. Oh God. Verse seven. My heart is steadfast. My heart is steadfast. I was saying yes I will send praises verse 11 be exalted above the heavens see where his eyes are.

Oh God you be exalted in chapter 1, 42, he saying I'm in the cave I'm at the end there's no one on the right hand or left. I have no one who cares. And now, in Psalm 57 he says no you be gracious to me.

God stretched them pulled beyond my limits. You meet my needs, so it's a crying out it's a declaration of dependence look at 34 this is the third song he wrote while in the cave. What a difference. What a change came over David. He says I will bless the Lord at all times. My praise shall continually be in my mouth. By the way, we haven't taken the time tonight to look, but in the first Chronicles passage you will find that those man who became trained in leadership under David became acutely able with the sword, and with the bow and arrow. They had training practices they learn how to get their act together in battle, they develop discipline in the in the ranks in the Army of David's Robin Hood style. They became though maverick they became skilled hunters and fighters so that they actually suppress the attacks of the Philistines.

By-and-by Saul had long since forgotten to protect the land and David picked it up in a new way. So David seeing his men marching in step in using the sword and using the spear and bow and arrows is all my praises continually before you verse to my soul shall make its boast in the Lord, the humble shall hear it and rejoice.

He says to his men magnify the Lord with me. Let us exalt his name together. He's putting their eyes on the Lord. I sought the Lord and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears now verse eight to the distressed. He says O taste and see that the Lord is good. How blessed is the man who takes refuge in him and to the those in debt. He says O fear the Lord, you his saints for to those who fear him. There is no want into the discontented. He says the young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing. And finally, verse 19.

Sort of a wrap up lesson. Many are the afflictions of the righteous. I'll just change the word you'll understand it's not in the text.

Many are the caves of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all share with you three applications I find as I study these Psalms in this brief passage in Samuel, why did the change take place. Number one because David heard enough to admit his need. When you are hurting. It needs to be declared to someone. If you have no one in the Lord that Psalm 142 he heard enough to it. Admit his need one man writes a moving account of his attempt to get a group of 14 men and women in the church to communicate with one another at more than a superficial level.

As he surveyed the group he was dismayed that many of the people had been attending the same church for years without knowing anyone else's personal feelings about anything. No hurt was ever admitted in an effort to help the people learn how to do that with one another at a deeper level. This man suggested that each person simply relate incidents from their past, which should help form their personalities.

Much to his disappointment. Every one of the 14 appeared to be faking it by relating basically positive experiences and feeling we really do that only near the end of the session as he was about to conclude the experiment had been a failure. One young woman poured out her feelings of insecurity, inferiority and despair. She finished the confession by stating that all she wanted was what other people in the group already had been this closing comment. We sat there stunned by the reality which had drawn us irresistibly toward this then totally unprotected young woman and I realized that it was we who needed what she had the ability to be open personal, honest in a vulnerable way. As I looked around the group. I knew that somehow because this theologically unsophisticated, honest woman had turned loose her silence and her pride and had reached out in total honesty that it was safe for us to start becoming one in Christ Jesus. He heard enough to admit his need.

Second, he was honest enough to cry for help that Psalm 57 is cried for help. We have lived under such a veneer so long in our generation that we hardly know how to cry for help. There's scarcely a husband who will cry out to his wife when he is in great need for fear of losing something, when in fact he will gain something she will door him for letting the cracks show third.

He was humble enough to learn from God. How tragic it is that we can live in one cave after another and never learn from God. As I survey this passage in all its implications. I tell you I thought of Jesus and his coming from the glories of heaven to accept a body of malcontents sinners like us, God forbid that we ever get over the incarnation, the crucifixion, in fact, God designed that we never do that. He said you keep observing the body and the blood of the Lord Jesus until he comes back, which is nothing more than observing the cave in which he was placed having lost everything and having come to an end, God rerouted humanity brought us through worthy is the Lamb that was slain that we bow together. Please let's just let's just be quiet and let him speak. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, no not one. There is none that seeks after God. They have all gone out of the way they are together on profitable even though all of that is true, he who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him tonight. Prepare yourself laying your life before him as a sheep.

It's going his own way crawled into the cave brought on by foolish actions, decisions. But tonight, clean his grace.

Look up, he'll bring you out our father we ask that you make this a time of memorable worship. We ask for a time in which we might just be lost in wonder, love, praise, claiming your forgiveness. The sunshine of your home shines in the mouth of our canes.

Step out into it, confident that you will not turn us away through Jesus Christ. We claim this. It's remarkable to witness God at work in David's life even will hunker down in a cave hiding from his enemies. Please stay with us.

Chuck Swindoll will conclude today's program in just a moment and if you like to learn more about Chuck and this ministry.

Be sure to visit us online@insideworld.org but first I'll remind you that insight for living has a long history of providing Bible study tools to complement each series. The study tools have been produced because sometimes the deepest spiritual lessons you learn occur apart from this program. When you're reading the Bible on your own. Along those lines. You might want to purchase a copy of Chuck's biography on David. It's called David a man of passion and destiny. That insight for living. We take delight in helping listeners and readers learn how to apply the truth of God's word to every aspect of their lives in this biographical study.

Chuck's practical insights are intended to help readers learn to think biblically, no matter what issues they face.

No matter how bad they've blown it.

David's life as you recall, was rife with struggle and some major blunders along the way. And yet God still pointed to him and said there that one is after my own heart. Well, to discover his journey and how you can live in harmony as well. We encourage you to purchase a copy of David, a man of passion and destiny. It's available@insight.org/offer or if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 once again that's 800-772-8888 and Chuck right now were calling on every listener to respond to help us move forward with another successful year of ministry.

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Plain and simple.

And that means were equipping Christians here at home as well as around the world to think biblically so that Christians are prepared to act biblically. We want the truth of God's word to flow through the veins of every listener like healthy red blood pumping life into the hearts of every follower of Christ, all of the way Charles Haddon Spurgeon once put it with a twinkle in his eyes. Spurgeon wrote this it is blessed to eat into the very soul of the Bible. Until that last you come to talk in spiritual language and your spirit is flavored with the words of the Lord, so that your blood is nibbling.

I love that line so that your blood is biblically up on the way oh what your blood type chart based on the draw sample from my arm. I'm going to tell the nurse I'm nibbling by the way, what yours. Here's the point. June 30 marks the end of our financial year.

Our needs are enormous. No exaggeration but really it's not about money it's about equipping clear thinking Christians day in and day out, I'm calling you to be part of something phenomenal. God will use your gift to cultivate nibbling Christian. By investing your charitable donation in insight for living ministries your equipping others to think biblically so that there prepared to act biblically together's contact information, and then please get back in touch with us today. Together let's accomplish something phenomenal. Thanks, Chuck. We invite you to give generously for this would here's how to respond if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888. That's 800-772-8888 or you can get online@insight.org/inviting you to join us.

When Chuck Swindoll continues to describe the fascinating story of David's life. That's Monday on insight for living in the preceding message for cave dwellers only was copyrighted in 1977, 1988, 1997 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide. Application of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited