Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: 1 Samuel 22 and Psalm 68

How David must have longed to be able to find refuge in a palace or the tabernacle, but he fled to the cave of Adullam for refuge and a hiding place from Saul. In fact, the name “Adullam” means “refuge” and it was likely named after (and because of) these events. Here David cried out to God in prayers like Psalm 57:1-3 “Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in You I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High to God, who vindicates me. He sends from heaven and saves me…”

God answered David’s prayers in many beautiful ways. The first answer was that his family joined him there. Can you imagine his joy and relief when he saw approaching the cave, his older brothers and their servants and households who had come to stand with him. Earlier they had scorned him (1 Samueal 17:28) and now they risked everything to stand with him.

The second answer came when a rag-tag group of men “who were in distress or in debt or discontented” gathered around David to form a band of about 400 fighting men.

And only after this did the prophet Gad bring David the next word of instruction from God. Gad counseled David to leave his cave-stronghold and go back to Judah, the province where Saul ruled.

This was surely not what David wanted to hear, but he obeyed. He had begun to learn to trust God and God’s solutions, even when they seemed crazy!

Very often when God answers a prayer, He does so through people – family members, friends, or even total strangers who bring us support, encouragement, prayer or a word from the Lord.

Lord Jesus, my Saviour, Redeemer and Deliverer, please deliver me from the dangers I will face, and grant me Your solutions to all the challenges I will need to overcome today. Holy Spirit, help me to trust the Word of the Lord and to walk in Your ways, rather than the ways that seem best to me at the time. Lead me in the everlasting way. Amen.