David in the Cave: Thanksgiving in Spite of Depression

David Loses Everything

Sometimes we get down because of our circumstances and think that we don’t have anything to be thankful about. These feelings of everything going wrong and the world being against us are nothing new. As we see in 1 Samuel 19 David dealt with loss.

King James Version (1 Samuel Chapter 19)

9 And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand. 10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. 11 Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain.

12 So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. 13 And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth. 14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. 15 And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. 16 And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster. 17 And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?

David Calls Out to God

So David lost his job, his wife, and was running for his life almost in an instant. He later must also leave his best friend, Jonathan and flees to Gath which was the a Philistine city where he was immediately recognized, so he had to go hide in a cave. He wrote this Psalm while he was in hiding.

King James Version Psalm 142

Psalm 142

Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave.

1  I cried unto the LORD with my voice;

With my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.

2  I poured out my complaint before him;

I shewed before him my trouble.

3  When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,

Then thou knewest my path.

In the way wherein I walked

Have they privily laid a snare for me.

4  ||I looked on my right hand, and beheld,

But there was no man that would know me:

Refuge failed me;

No man cared for my soul.

5  I cried unto thee, O LORD:

I said, Thou art my refuge

And my portion in the land of the living.

6  Attend unto my cry;

For I am brought very low:

Deliver me from my persecutors;

For they are stronger than I.

7  Bring my soul out of prison,

That I may praise thy name:

The righteous shall compass me about;

For thou shalt deal bountifully with me

Even when David was in his darkest hour he still trusted in God. Bad times will always be part of our Christian life. John Bunyan was locked in jail when he wrote one of my favorite books, Pilgrims Progress. In it Christian falls into the Slough of Despond. Help eventually comes and pulls Christian out. When Christian asks Help why the Slough couldn’t just be removed, Help responds:

“It is not the pleasure of the King that this place should remain so bad. Isa. 35:3, 4. His laborers also have, by the direction of his Majesty’s surveyors, been for above this sixteen hundred years employed about this patch of ground, if perhaps it might have been mended: yea, and to my knowledge,” said he, “there have been swallowed up at least twenty thousand cart loads, yea, millions of wholesome instructions, that have at all seasons been brought from all places of the King’s dominions, (and they that can tell, say, they are the best materials to make good ground of the place,) if so be it might have been mended; but it is the Slough of Despond still, and so will be when they have done what they can.

“True, there are, by the direction of the Lawgiver, certain good and substantial steps, placed even through the very midst of this slough; but at such time as this place doth much spew out its filth, as it doth against change of weather, these steps are hardly seen; or if they be, men, through the dizziness of their heads, step beside, and then they are bemired to purpose, notwithstanding the steps be there: but the ground is good when they are once got in at the gate.”

God Sends Help

So, while we as Christians are bound to fall into the pit God sends help. What help did God send David? He sent his family.

King James Version Chapter 22

22 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him. 2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

His family came and help lift him from his depression.If you know David’s story, then you’ll remember that his father didn’t even think of him until Samuel prodded him and asked if he was sure that he had shown him all his son’s. “Oh yeah, I have one more out watching the sheep.” His brother talks down to him and scorns him when he went to the battlefield to deliver food and eventually defeat Goliath. No, not even David’s family was perfect, but they were there for him when he was at his lowest. Isn’t it wonderful to have a family that we can lean on in times of distress Isn’t it wonderful to thank God and praise him together for what he has given us?

David wrote this next Psalm shortly after God had delivered him from this dark time.

King James Version Psalm 34

Psalm 34

A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.

1  I will bless the LORD at all times:

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2  My soul shall make her boast in the LORD:

The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3  O magnify the LORD with me,

And let us exalt his name together.

4  I sought the LORD, and he heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

5  They looked unto him, and were lightened:

And their faces were not ashamed.

6  This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him,

And saved him out of all his troubles.

7  The angel of the LORD encampeth

Round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8  O taste and see that the LORD is good:

Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

9  O fear the LORD, ye his saints:

For there is no want to them that fear him.

10  The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger:

But they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

11  Come, ye children, hearken unto me:

I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12  What man is he that desireth life,

And loveth many days, that he may see good?

13  Keep thy tongue from evil,

And thy lips from speaking guile.

14  Depart from evil, and do good;

Seek peace, and pursue it.

15  The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous,

And his ears are open unto their cry.

16  The face of the LORD is against them that do evil,

To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17  The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth,

And delivereth them out of all their troubles.

18  The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;

And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

19  Many are the afflictions of the righteous:

But the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

20  He keepeth all his bones:

Not one of them is broken.

21  Evil shall slay the wicked:

And they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

22  The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants:

And none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

Eventually God triumphantly helps David out of his depression and David thanks him. He will help us too, if only we call on him. Let us Pray.