Cavetime

Where God Sends Believers To Boot Camp

We prefer to live out in the sunshine of God’s grace, but sometimes we get the “cave” instead. Cave time is core curriculum in the school of spirituality maturity. Call it whatever you want: the pit, the prison, the desert, the wilderness—the cave is basic training for believers. It’s where God breaks you down in order to build you up. By the way, God does some of his best work in caves.

Read: Psalm 142 // Focus: Psalm 142:1

A Maskil of David. When He Was in the Cave. A Prayer
“I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble.”

We all prefer to live out in the sunshine of God’s grace, but from time to time we get the “cave” instead. “Cave time” is just core curriculum in the school of spirituality maturity. Call it whatever you want: the pit, the prison, the desert, the wilderness—the cave is basic training for believers.

Joseph had a prison; Moses had the desert; Jeremiah had a pit, Daniel had a den, Paul was in and out of jail so many times, like Motel Six, they “kept the light on for him.” Even Jesus had a wilderness. Oh, he got a cave, too—he spent three days in one. If Jesus had “cave-time,” the cave won’t be optional for you. Every believer gets “the cave.”

What is the cave? The cave is a place of death; it’s where you die to self. The cave is the place of testing; it’s the blast furnace for moral fiber. The cave is where your mettle gets tested, your maturity gets revealed and your heart gets exposed! Put a person in the cave of distress, discouragement or doubt, and true character will show up. And if your brave enough to open up to the truth about you, the cave will reveal just how much work God still has to do to get you ready for great things. (Deuteronomy 8:2)

Likewise, the cave is the place of separation. Not only does God reveal the true you in the cave, he also strips you of every misplaced dependency. (Deuteronomy 8:3) In the cave, God separated David from everything he had once depended on, and all that was left for David was God himself.

The cave was perhaps the most frustrating period in David’s life—but in hindsight, it turned out to be the most fruitful. That’s because the cave is also the place of forging. (Deuteronomy 8:4-5) The cave is where God breaks you down in order to build you up.

That’s what God does in the cave. And by the way, God does some of his best work in caves. It was there in the cave of Adullam that David wrote three of his most moving psalms—Psalms 34, 57 & 142, including our key verse: “I cry aloud to the Lord…I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble.”

If you’re in a cave and you’re complaining to everyone else but God, you’re missing a great opportunity to pour out your heart to the only one who can do something about it. Good things always happen when you get honest with God. So try talking to him—and be patient, God does great work in caves.

If you doubt that, just remember that empty cave on the outskirts of Jerusalem. For three days, it held a crucified body. But God does great work in caves—best of which is resurrection. Perhaps that will change your mind about caves.

Making Life Work: If you’re in a cave and you’re complaining to everyone else but God, remember, he is the only one who is there with you. Besides, you’re missing a great opportunity to pour out your heart to the only one who can do something about it. Good things always happen when you get honest with God. So try talking to him—and be patient, God does great work in caves.

Zip It

We’ll need supernatural help if we’re going to get our mouth in the right place with God. That’s why we need to pray for Divine help—every day: “God, help me to zip my lips!” We can’t do it alone. But God will help us if we sincerely ask him. He never encourages us to do something that he is not willing to help with. And if we get God’s help, there isn’t anything we can’t do…even zipping our lips!

Read: Psalm 141 // Focus: Psalm 141:3

“Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

If you are an average American, researchers have found that you will engage in 30 conversations a day and will spend one-fifth of your life talking. In one year’s time, your conversations could fill sixty-six books at 800 pages each.

How come then, with so much practice speaking, few of us have ever gained complete or even consistent mastery of the content of our communication?

Think about it: Just a few inflammatory words set off a chain of events that look like World War III in your life. You come home from work tired and cranky, and yell at your wife…she yells at the oldest kid…he yells at little sister…she goes out and kicks the dog…the dog bites the cat…the cat comes in and scratches the baby…the baby rips the head off the Barbie doll.

Wouldn’t it be a whole lot simpler if the husband had just ripped off the Barbie’s head himself?

Your words matter! Proverbs 18:21 reminds us that our words can either kill or they can give life: “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” That’s how powerful they are. And more importantly, our words reveal what is going on within us. Matthew 12:34 says that our words only reveal what is already inside our heart: “how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” That is why control our mouth must begin with reforming our heart.

So what does your mouth reveal about your heart? If we were to play back a tape recording of every conversation you’ve had this week, what would we learn about you? That you have a bitter, angry, hurtful, doubtful heart, or that your heart is faithful, hopeful and loving?

David knew he would need supernatural help if he were going to get both heart and mouth in the right place with God. That’s why he prayed for Divine help. You and I need to pray that too, every day! We can’t do it alone. I know I can’t—I’m living proof of that. But I think God will help us if we sincerely ask him. He never encourages us to do something that he is not willing to help with.

And if we get God’s help, there isn’t anything we can’t do…even zipping our lips!

Making Life Work: Pray David’s prayer every day this week—several times a day if you need to: “Lord, set a guard over my mouth!”

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Universe

There Comes a Time When You Need to Approach The Bench

We need to do what we can to uphold justice in our world, but there comes a time, for sanity’s sake, that we must turn all the evil and injustice to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Universe. One day, maybe sooner, perhaps later, he will hold court, and then every evil intent and wicked act will be brought to light, judged, and the sentence will be pronounced.

Read: Psalm 140 // Focus: Psalm 140:12

“I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.”

King David was one of the most amazing leaders in human history. Flawed, certainly, but skilled, talented, brilliant, creative, courageous, inspiring, visionary and successful like few other leaders of men. Even still, David had his detractors. They were there from the beginning to the end and at each step in between nipping early and often at David’s credibility and authority to lead.

Even at the zenith of his reign in what has been called the Golden Age of Israel—when everybody should have been on board with David’s program, there were evildoers woven into the fabric of Israel poticallly, militarily, culturally and spiritually who promoted wickedness and perpetuated injustice. But David knew that ultimately God was the Great Discerner of human motives and would reveal the wicked intent of their heart sooner or later. Though it may not have seemed like it at the moment, he was confident that God would come to the rescue of the poor and innocent, and would bring about Divine justice to all who were oppressed.

King David did what he could as the king to promote justice, but even he had his limits. And when David reached those limits, he would make his appeal to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Universe, God himself. That was the only way David could maintain his sanity as a leader in a sea of evildoers and injustice.

That is a good idea for you and me as well. We need to do what we can to uphold justice in our world, but there comes a time for sanity’s sake that we must turn all the evil and injustice to the Chief Justice. One day, maybe sooner, perhaps later, he will hold court, and then every evil intent and wicked act will be brought to light, judged, and the sentence will be pronounced. But this calls for great perseverance and patience on our part. James talks about this in his New Testament epistle,

“Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! (James 5:7-9)

When circumstances are uncontrollable, when people are unchangeable and when problems are unexplainable, James says, “practice patience!” Why? Because God is in control! James says, “Be patient…stand firm…don’t com-plain, because the Lord’s coming is near.” Furthermore, practice patience because God rewards it. In James 5:11, he says, “As you know, we consider blessed those who’ve persevered.” And finally, practice patience because God is at work. James goes on to say in verse 11 says, “You’ve heard of Job’s perseverance, and you’ve seen what God finally brought about. He’s full of compassion and mercy.” Job couldn’t see it, but God was working. And while you might not see how God is working, he is. Clouds may block your view of the sun, but the sun still shines behind the clouds, so God is at work even when you don’t see it.

So the next time you’re tempted to get discouraged about all the injustice that is beyond your scope of authority, either in the world at large or in your personal world, don’t grumble about it. Take it to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Universe.

Making Life Work: Who or what is trying your patience at the moment? Turn it or them over to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Universe. How? Sit still: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act.” (Psalm 37:7) Reject anxiety: “Don’t be anxious about anything…” (Philippians 4:6) Meditate on truth: “Think about what’s trustworthy and true.” (Philippians 4:8) And practice casting: “Cast all your cares on him.” (1 Peter 5:7)

No Stopping The Unstoppable God

He Will Perfect That Which Concerns Me

Read: Psalm 138 // Focus: Psalm 138:8

“The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands.”

“God will perfect everything that concerns you.” (Psalm 138:8, NKJV) I have heard my wife use King David’s phrase many times in her public prayers. I like that thought, don’t you? Nothing will stop God from fulfilling his purpose for my life—nothing!

That was the essence of David’s thinking in this psalm. Nothing could get in the way of what God had in mind, that is, God’s perfect will for David’s life—not even his own fleshly desires. That’s the caveat to this truth: the perfecting is of that which is according to God’s will, which of course, is what ought to concern us more than anything else in this life.

The New Testament writer Jude capture the essence of this truth in his benedictory prayer when he wrote, “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25) Likewise, the Apostle Paul wrote similar words in Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

How comforting and empowering to know that if we are passionately pursuing God’s purposes, God has passionately committed himself to fulfilling his purposes in us. No matter what things may look like—horrible circumstances and hateful people notwithstanding (Psalm 138:7)—God will never abandon the work that he has lovingly and painstakingly invested in us, and he will ultimately bring that work to perfect completion.

What David had discovered was that when we are for God, and when God is for us, we cannot lose! 2 Chronicles 16:9 reminds us this profound truth,

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

Wow! God so desires to fulfill his purposes in this world that he is actually scouring the earth looking for fully devoted people in order to release his enabling power in their lives. Is your heart fully committed to him? If it is, then God will find you, and sooner or later you will come into the greatest joy that anyone can ever experience in this life: God fulfilling his purposes for you and through you.

Yes, God will perfect that which concerns you!

Making Life Work:What are the obstacles standing in your path to pursing God? According to Psalm 138:8, God will repurpose those stumbling blocks into building blocks. Try praying a thanksgiving prayer for everything that seems to impeding your progress. Then ask God to empower you to work with him to use those very things to perfect you. Pray this risky prayer: “God use this to shape me.”

The Opera Ain’t Over … Till God Says It’s Over

My Days Are Numbered

God planned me, built me, watches over me, can steer me back on track when I wander, will keep me safe until the Divinely allotted numbers of days ordained for me are up, and then take me to the next life that he has prepared for me. My life will be over when he says it’s over!

Read: Psalm 139 // Focus: Psalm 139:16

“All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

How many days do I have left? I don’t know. No one does, except God. He knows the exact number of years, days, hours and seconds that I will occupy my address on Planet Earth; the exact moment that my death will occurs.

Now that may not seem like a cheery thought to you, and in fact, most people would find that sobering, at best, and frightening, at worst. Not me. I find great comfort and security in knowing that God has my life so ordered that I will neither die a day sooner nor live a day longer than what has already been recorded in his book. You see, life and death are far above my pay grade, so I will happily let Father God take care of that department, thank you very much.

So if I truly and correctly understand this profound truth, then I am freed from the fear of death to fully live the life that God has planned for me. I can enjoy an intimate walk with the One

  • Who was intimately involved in each minor detail of my day (Psalm 139:1-4)
  • Who never lets me out of his sight (Psalm 139:5-8)
  • Who guides my every move with his Fatherly hand (Psalm 139:9-10)
  • Who is not limited by my circumstances (Psalm 139:11-12).

In fact, God is so involved in my life that he was even there at the moment my mother and father conceived me in love, and he superintended even the most infinitesimal details my physiological and temperamental formation.

God knows me! He knows everything about me. He planned me, built me, watches over me, can steer me back on track when I wander from his purpose (Psalm 139:23-24), can be completely trusted to keep me safe until the Divinely allotted numbers of days ordained for me are up, and then take me to the next life that he has prepared for me.

“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand” (Psalm 139:6, NLT), but it won’t keep me from enjoying this day and praising the One who is in charge of it!

Making Life Work:Through the day, declare, “God is in charge of me!” Then live like it’s true—because it is!

A Downright Nasty Little Prayer

When It’s Completely Appropriate to Pray Angry

If you are going to unleash an imprecatory prayer on someone—a downright nasty little diatribe to God—just remember that Divine justice is blind; it cuts both ways. So make sure your own evil has been covered by the blood of Christ, which comes by grace through faith through the acknowledgement and repentance of sin.

Read: Psalm 137 // Focus: Psalm 137:8

“O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us.”

If you are going to enjoy the psalms, sooner or later you’ll have to deal with a psalm like this. Psalm 137 is a downright nasty little song/prayer that calls for the violent destruction of the Babylonian people—akin to the call for a Jewish Jihad! This is what we called an imprecatory psalm—the calling down of a divine curse; a prayer for violent vengeance.

So the question is, what place does such an angry psalm have in the song book of a loving God?

First, this isn’t simply a religious rant. Psalm 137 should not be isolated from the others psalms—or from the rest of Scripture, for that matter. It makes sense only in context of both the theological and historical setting. The writer wasn’t just calling down vengeance because he didn’t like someone. The Babylonians had perpetrated great violence against God’s people, so the psalmist was only calling on God to do what God had promised to do. (see Jeremiah 52:4-11)

Second, this is not a call to take vengeance into human hands. The psalmist sees God as judge, jury and executioner, and upon that basis makes his plea for the proper execution of Divine justice. (James 4:12)

Third, though it isn’t acknowledged within this psalm, other Scripture shows that before the Jews had called down judgment on their captors, they had first thoroughly repented before God for the very things that had brought them under the iron-fist of Babylon to begin with. (Daniel 9:1-19) They had, as Jesus later called us to do, taken the beam out of their own eye before they bothered with judgment for their tormentors. (Matthew 7:1-5)

Finally, this prayer, and others like it, is aligned with God’s prophetic indictment of Israel’s enemies. The writer is praying what the Scripture has already declared, calling into fulfillment God’s judgment against some extremely evil people. (Psalm 103:6)

For the most part, our prayers should be along the lines that Jesus taught: “love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” (Luke 6:27-28 NLT) But when evil goes beyond the pale, it is certainly appropriate to pray for what is at the core of God’s being: Justice.

However, I think I need to offer one caveat: If you are going to unleash an imprecatory prayer, just remember that Divine justice is blind; it cuts both ways. So make sure your own evil has been covered by the blood of Christ, which comes by grace through faith through the acknowledgement and repentance of sin.

Making Life Work: Are you angry about someone or something? First, make sure you are good and angry. (see Psalm 4:4 and Ephesians 4:26) Next, confess your own sins before God and thank him for his undeserved mercy and grace in your life, Now you are ready to pray for what or for whom you angry. So go for it!

Enduring Love

Sound Bites of God’s Love

If you are one of those who dislikes modern worship, think about this psalm the next time you are tempted to get a little grouchy about your church’s song service. If you want to be critical of your worship leader’s “shallow” or “repetitive” song selection, then line up the psalmist too, and take your shot at both. You see, he repeats himself a lot—but that’s only because he can’t get over God’s enduing love.

Read: Psalm 136 // Focus: Psalm 136:1

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.”

One of the critiques of modern worship choruses is that they are too simple and overly repetitive. The great hymns of the church, on the other hand, are deeply theological and majestic both in lyric and music. I truly love both—the modern worship the Holy Spirit has birthed in the contemporary church as well as the hymns of our historic faith. Both move me to joyful worship of Almighty God.

Psalm 136 is akin to a modern worship chorus. In each of the twenty-six verses that comprise the psalm, you will notice simple, sound bite phrases that recall the goodness of God as both creator and redeemer, followed by the same line twenty-six times: “His love endures forever!”

So if you are one of those who, frankly, just dislikes modern worship, think about this psalm the next time you are tempted to get a little grouchy about your church’s worship. If you want to be critical of your worship leader for his or her song selection, you might as well line up the psalmist right beside them and take your shot at both of the psalmist and the song leader!

Or you could do what this psalm calls you to do: Focus on the goodness of God throughout the history of the world, and throughout your personal history as well. God has been faithful in all he has done, and merciful, too. He is the loving Creator and Redeemer—he always has been; he is right now, and when you wake up tomorrow, and the next day, and every day after that, he still will be.

O give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever!

Now—don’t you feel much better?

Making Life Work:Read this psalm out loud from beginning to end. Now see if you don’t sense God’s enduring love a little bit stronger than before.