Praise Him In The Cave

PRAISE HIM IN THE CAVE - PS 57:1-11

I want to talk to you today……Have you ever found yourself in a place where life backed you into a corner? Where the very people you thought had your back were actually trying to take you out? Have you ever been in a season where you felt like you were hiding in a cave, pressed, perplexed, and pursued by the pressures of life? Maybe you’ve been betrayed, maybe your finances are funny, maybe your health is failing, or perhaps trouble just won’t let you be! If that’s you, then you are in good company, because David knew exactly how you feel!

I want you to understand that Psalm 57 is a psalm of desperation, a psalm of deliverance, and ultimately, a psalm of declaration. David is on the run from King Saul, who is actively pursuing him with the intent to kill him. Saul's jealousy and his fear of David’s rising popularity and God's favor on David led to Saul's attempts to take David's life, leading David to live in constant danger and uncertainty….and at the time of this writing……David is now hiding out in a cave, but even in that dark, that cold…that damp, depressing place, David finds something that shifts his entire perspective, PRAISE! YES, THERE IT IS…EVEN THOUGH HE WAS IN A CAVE CHURCH…SOMETHING HAPPENED IN DAVID’S PSALM, IN HIS SPIRIT, IN HIS MIND, AND RATHER THAN COMPLAINING DAVID DECIDES TO PRAISE!!!!! Somebody shout, "Praise Him in the cave!"

David expresses a desire for God's name to be magnified above all else, despite his own challenges. This reflects the idea that praise is an acknowledgment of God's supremacy and sovereignty, even in the face of personal trials. You see, praise is not just for the sanctuary, not just for the mountaintop moments, not just for the victory celebrations. Praise is a weapon, praise is a strategy, and praise is an act of war against the enemy who tries to come and still and kill your joy!!!!! Praise is what you do when your back is against the wall, and you need God to show up in a mighty way! David teaches us that praise in the cave is not just possible, it’s necessary!

I. TAKE REFUGE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD (Psalm 57:1-3)

Oh, saints, when the weight of the world is on your shoulders and the storms of life are tossing you to and fro, I came to tell you today that there is a place you can run to! I said, there is a place where the storms can’t touch you, where the winds can’t tear you apart, where the fire won’t burn you! David, the man after God’s own heart, says in Psalm 57:1, “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I take refuge in You.” Can I tell you something? David wasn’t just looking for a way out, he was looking for a way in! He wasn’t looking for an escape; he was running INTO the presence of God! Somebody say, “I’m running in!”

When life caves in and you feel like you’re about to break down, let me remind you, don’t run to people, don’t run to distractions, don’t run to things that can’t carry you! The safest place in the whole wide world is in the arms of the Almighty! Psalm 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." You need to know that God is present right now! He’s right there where you are. I’m talking about a refuge (AN ASYLUM, A SHELTER) that can handle your burdens, a strong tower that can withstand your storms. Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Somebody shout, “I’m running to the tower!”

Saints, when life gets heavy, when the weight of the world is on your shoulders, don’t run to Facebook, don’t run to your best friend for advice that won’t change a thing! When the storms of life are raging, don’t you dare run to gossip, don’t you dare run to distractions! Run to God! Run to the Father! Psalm 121:1-2 says, “I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” Your help comes from the One who made the heavens and the earth! The One who spoke to the storm and told it to be still!

Saints, when you take refuge in the presence of God, you’re not just surviving the storm, you are thriving in the storm! Psalm 91:1-2 says, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”