Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Soliloquy from a Cave

In Ps 142 we have David's soliloquy from a cave. His lament. His difficulties poured out. It's not pretty; quite ugly in fact. David doesn't mince words.

He cries out to the Lord. He pleads for the Lord's mercy. He pours out his complaints. He tells God of all his trouble (If you're staying in a cave, then you're definitely in trouble). His enemies have set traps for him wherever he goes. No one cares. No one gives him a passing thought. No one will help him. He is very low. His persecutors are too strong for him.

And there in that cave, in the middle of his lament, we find the gem. "You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life." It takes desperation and a cave to strip away life to its bare essentials. A cave is a refuge when God is present, not because of the cave, but because of God. There is nothing else and David discovers that he has everything he really wants.

Prayer: O Lord God, may we understand what David discovered, that we need nothing else besides you.

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