Cave Living

 "There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still" ~Corrie ten Boom

Few times in history give us an example of the levels of human depravity as the Nazi regime during World War II. During the time that Adolph Hitler was in power in Germany, he and his minions persecuted, imprisoned, and killed literally millions and millions of Jews. But even as the darkness of the evil of Hitler and Nazi Germany spread across Europe, God's light still flickered and flashed.

In Haarlem, Holland lived the ten Boom family. This was a normal Dutch family that dedicated their lives to being God's light in the darkness. During the time of Nazi occupation and Jewish persecution, Corrie ten Boom's father built a secret room to provide a place of sanctuary to many of their Jewish friends and neighbors. This non-violent protest was her families way of living out Christ's example in the face of Nazi evil.

Over the time of the occupation, literally hundreds of Jews passed to safety through the walls of the ten Boom's home, until one cold and dreary February when the secret room was discovered by the Gestapo. Within days, Corrie and her family were torn from their home and locked away in a dark, dank prison cell in Scheveningen.

But the faith of this saint never faltered or failed. In the face of extreme obstacles, she found solace in the Lord. Just like when David ran to the caves of Adullam looking for protection and refuge from Saul. They both saw the light of God's deliverance. Corrie, fleeing from her Nazi persecutors, and David, fleeing from Saul's sword and spear. What David found in that cave made a lasting impact on his life.

“David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.” 1st Samuel ‭22:1-2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God will seldom leave us in our "caves" all alone. God will challenge us to bring others into the cave so that they can seek shelter too. To Corrie, God brought her guards, other prisoners, and officers in the Nazi army to witness and minister to. And to David, he brought 400 desperate men who were in dire need of leadership and direction in their lives.

The folks that David found in that cave were "refugees" of Saul's faulty leadership. Some of these folks were family and friends and some were strangers. Everyone that was found to be in that cave had a reason to be there. They were all being persecuted in some way by Saul, whether through taxes owed to his government that they couldn't begin to pay or simply by being wronged and mistreated in other ways. It was only when David stepped up and accepted the leadership that God gave him that things started to make a turn.

When he saw their dire need, David stepped up. He became the leader of this rag tag group of men and instilled what all men need most: character and direction. He gave them a common goal and purpose. He trained them all to be mighty warriors. Thus the mantle of "David's Mighty Men" was laid upon these 400 men. They would later become the most powerful force Israel would ever see. They were the very strength of Israel. Men like Benaiah, son of Jehoiada.

“And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two heroes of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.” ‭‭1st Chronicles‬ ‭11:22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

It isn't every day a man kills a lion in it's own space. He went into the cave with David and came out a great warrior for God and for Israel.

It was during one of the darkest points of David's life that God gave him a ministry. He told him to help take care of and equip 400 other men that had been weakened by the stresses and worries of their lives and to mold them into strong warriors. In our own lives, we have to be constantly aware of times like this. Times when we know that we need to retreat to the cave for a time, to recoup and re-arm ourselves and those that God would have us join shields with in battle. These times are not as dark as we think they are but they are a blessing because God will use it to give us purpose and direction in our lives.

David found a message of hope and faith while in that cave at Adullam. Corrie ten Boom found the same hope and faith while in a Nazi death camp. When life went sideways, both these Saints took refuge in God's love. Both sang songs of love and adoration to God while in the direst of circumstances.Both were sensitive to God during the darkest times in their lives and because they continuously looked to Him for the answers God was able to bring them into the light of His mercy and love.

While it is likely that we will never have to face the realities that David and Corrie faced in their lives, we all still have an enemy that wants to steal our joy, kill our spirit, and murder our witness to the lost world around us. He wants us to live in absolute darkness and fear. When we are faced with an enemy, remember to bring along a friend to help you and know that God has a secret place for you to hide. A place of protection, comfort, and direction for your life. All you have to do is turn your eyes to God in the despairing times and you will find His hope shining down, like a strong and piercing light all the way down into the darkness.