David's Man Cave

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Psalm 57
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 am sure you have heard of the phrase, "man cave".  It is place where men go to get away from the stress of life.  It is a hideout where he can relax and do whatever he feels like doing.  Usually it involves some form of media entertainment (tv, video game, sports), and healthy food and drink like pizza and beer.  Today our psalmist is talking about a different type of "man cave". 

 The setting of this psalm is that David is hiding out in a cave from King Saul, who was looking to kill him out of jealousy.  Caves in rocks were natural hiding places, where one could peer out and be prepared for an intruder.  High caves were places one could look out and see the enemy coming from a distance.  It is this metaphor that David uses to describe how God protected him in his time of trouble.  

 God is his shelter, his refuge, his ever present help in time of trouble.  Notice David asks God twice to have mercy on him.  You can see how desperate he is for God's help.  He pleads for God's mercy.  Mercy is a similar word to compassion or pity.  He is asking God to hear his cry and take action.  But before God answers him, David commits to taking his refuge in Him.  David says, "I WILL take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed."  David has made a decision that he will trust in God's unfailing love. He is a great model for us when we are in trouble. 

 For what circumstance in your life do you feel you are hiding out in a cave until the trouble passes?  This is a great time to call on God for mercy and then commit to wait on him until he delivers you.  This will help build your trust in God and draw you closer to Him. 

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