“So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food

forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.

And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place;…”

I Kings 19:8-9a

 

 

My heart just doesn’t understand

even though I am trusting in Your hand

this road has been long and winding

sometimes steep, sometimes rough, sometimes blinding.

I wrestle to stay upright, to keep from falling

tears flood crevices, cracks and holes

with each step, each shuffle, each fall

I listen closely for Your call.

When trusting You is all I have left

knowing You are in control

blankets of peace cover my soul

and the weight is easier to bear

just in the knowing You are always there.

 

~Marcie Bridges
©23 September 2019

 

Her little black face peeked out from under my daughter’s bed. We had been looking for Inky for a couple of hours. It’s hard to find a black kitty in darkened corners and under beds.

 

Inky and one of our other cats, Scooter, do not get along at all. Well, it’s more that Scooter doesn’t like Inky. In any case, Inky had gone into hiding.

 

There are times I wish I could be just like Inky and crawl in a hole and hide. I’m sure I’m not alone. Sometimes it seems hiding from the world and from responsibilities of life is the best thing I can do.

 

Two prominent men in the Bible felt the same way. David, anointed but not yet fulfilled the throne yet, fled to a cave trying to hide from King Saul. Elijah, the prophet, ran away to the wilderness first before hiding in a cave on Mt. Horeb from Queen Jezebel. Both men feared for their lives.

The difference is this: David became a leader of 400 men who came to help him during his time in hiding. They, too, were hiding from Saul and in the cave they were able to take care of one another.

 

On the other hand, Elijah remained alone in his cave and God questioned why he was there. Elijah was sulking in his cave wondering why he was being hunted down when he had just done what God had asked him to do.

 

While it may be okay for us to go into hiding from time to time, the question is, are we using this time to seek refuge in the Lord? Or, are we using it as our own protection from the world? One is God-focused, one is self-focused.

 

Neither King David nor Elijah were meant to stay in hiding. Eventually they would both come back out to do the work God asked them to do. They didn’t stay stuck.

Hiding from the onslaught of life should only be temporary. If you find yourself struggling to come back out from under the bed, it is time to seek help. While keeping your eyes focused on Jesus during your exile, ask Him to bring other people into your life, to come alongside you and pray with you and help you.

 

Constant isolation is never good. Not even for a little black kitty. Isolation only serves to allow our minds to think on things that are not true. If we only dwell on the bad and not the good, we will stay in the cave. Reach out and find someone to help you. Don’t let your cave become your home.

 

From My Heart to Yours,
Marcie

 

 

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