These were troubling times for David, future King of Israel. He
was a wanted man, hunted by King Saul like a criminal. David was on the run, seeking
a place of safety where he could lay low until things cooled down, until he
could formulate a plan of action.
Adullam...where...all who were down on their luck came. (1 Samuel 22:1-2 TM)
This is a particularly meaningful reading for me today, perhaps
for you as well. We have all spent time hiding out in the wilderness and
running from the enemy. David didn't choose wilderness living, he had nowhere
else to go when Saul isolated him from his family, ended his military career
and banned him from the palace.
The wilderness experience starts out with feelings of
disconnection and isolation, and usually get worse before it gets better.
Someone who seeks safety from hurt or pain, one who runs from rejection and
loss, feel the need to escape, to run anywhere that refuge might be found. In
David's case it was to the cave of Adullam, where he turned back to God.
Adullam means a place of refuge.
Following my husband's death, I experienced a season of wilderness
living. It was during this season, when I left the home we shared for so
many years and moved 700 miles away. I first read about David's escape to
Adullam and felt a real connection to this story. In fact, a friend told me she
saw the word, 'refuge' when ever I would speak of my new home.
What are you running from? Are you in a wilderness where you
are seeking safety or security? Read more about this time in David's life and
just see if perhaps God isn't providing a safe-haven for you too. There is much
more to me said on this topic, but just maybe we need to take this in first;
consider your wilderness and make the most of it.
