“I cry out to the LORD; I plead for the LORD’S mercy. I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles.when I am overwhelmed,  you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go,  my enemies have set traps for me. I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me. Then I pray to you, O LORD. I say, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life. Hear my cry, for I am very low. Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. Bring me out of prison so I can thank You.The Godly will crowd around me, for You are good to me.”- { Psalm 142:1-7} NLT.

CLASS MEETS IN A CAVE!

 God puts a high premium on  prayer and faith that is anchored in Himself. And God has a classroom to develop that faith, not necessarily always bad. Indeed faith comes by hearing and hearing by His Word. Some “classrooms” are where we see the goodness of the Lord in such a palatable way, others like for  David in his spiritual development in learning to pray and trust God were against the background of a Cave!  God has different classrooms where faith is tested, developed and sometimes like for David, God’s Classroom Of Faith Sometimes, Meets In A Cave!

 David  had been promised that he would be future king someday. What an honor. Something to look forward to. There was just a little teeny weeny problem. Saul was king and was not willing to give it up. Saul and his men were chasing David and David now found himself in a cave. David was in a cave of difficulty. He was overwhelmed, enemies set traps for him. He looks in vain for someone to come and help him, but no one, not a one came to his assistance. No one  would give him a passing thought, or any help. No one cared what would happen to him. He was in a tough, lonely place. He looked around and there was no hope- no help. How many of us could testify to that at sometime in our lives, but then in v 5 we see something change.

He lifted his eye of faith a little higher and he prayed to the LORD, and he TESTIFIED- He exercised faith in the LORD- whatever about men, “You are my place of Refuge,” he said. You are my place of security, You LORD are this to me. And he concludes with what it is he desires in his life- It is the Lord Himself. “You are all I really want in life.” When he felt alone- God was with him. God listened to him. God knew his pain. God was always with him, he was ever alone, for the LORD God was with him as He is with you. You are never alone, forsaken, abandoned, He is with you! When  it “feels” no one cares or is there for you. GOD IS. HE ALWAYS CARES. HE IS ALWAYS WITH YOU!

Note the honesty of David’s prayers in this psalm…. -“I cry to the LORD… I plead for the Lord’s mercy. I pour out my complaints before Him and tell Him all my troubles… When I am overwhelmed,… You alone know the way I should turn….I pray  to You, Lord…hear my cry, for I am very low,… rescue me… they are too strong for me… Bring me out of prison… so I can thank You… You are good to me…” {v 1-7}. He finds himself in a difficult place and in verse 6 he says, “…I am very low. “ His honesty, transparency, he does not see himself as sufficient, he is very low during this event, yet he fights the fight of faith to PRAY AND FOCUS ON THE LORD, as he pours our his heart before the LORD, who alone is Sufficient.

 The Classroom of “the Cave” is not meant to make us INDEPENDENT of the LORD but more and more DEPENDENT upon Him!

 1. – IT IS WHOM WE TURN TO IN THE CRISIS- Reveals to ourselves where our faith is anchored in that moment. This does not mean perfection but a new direction.- He cries out to the LORD-this is the first ACT we See Of the person of faith- Who they turn to in trouble. David turns to the LORD- in the classroom of faith- in the difficult place, the tendency we see is his cry initially to the LORD. He does not sugarcoat the difficulty. indeed these words, “I am very low”- in verse 6 tells us so much about this poor soul.

 2. PRAYER is an admission to God of our own Insufficiency and God’s Sufficiency. Talk to Him. Tell Him of your troubles, feelings. He already knows. Faith pleases Him and your talking to Him about it and trusting Him by doing so is pleasing to Him.

 3. PRAYER AND FAITH GO HAND IN HAND. THE FOCUS ON GOD. God uses difficulties to develop us into people of DEPENDENCE upon Him. Prayer and faith in Him, go hand in Hand with Him.

 4. BE CONSIDERATE of others who may be going through God’s classroom of Faith that is meeting in a Cave presently. Who better to empathize, intercede compassionately than you who have known, “God’s classroom of prayer and faith sometimes meet in a Cave!”

 5. BE PRAISING and TESTIFYING– v -7 – ” Bring my soul out of prison, So that I may give thanks to Your name; The righteous will surround me, For You will deal bountifully with me.” {Note- “….You will…” the attitude of faith! }

 sending this with prayer…and asking for prayer…