Cave prayers

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. Psalm 57:1

Caves throughout the Bible were used primarily for two purposes; burial and safety. From the earliest accounts of Lot and his daughters staying in a cave for safety in Genesis, to powerful people seeking shelter in caves from God’s wrath in Revelation, caves have been the “natural” choice for out of the way security. As David prayed in Psalm 57, it is the God sanctuary.

I don’t think that is what my cousin and I had in mind when we were cave exploring along the Mississinewa River in the old town of Summerset, Indiana, in 1961, which is now at the bottom of the Mississinewa Reservoir. We found a particularly interesting looking one and with flashlights in hand began crawling into its depths. It was my cousins home turf so he went first, I was bigger so I followed; not a good idea. Twenty feet or so in, I was wedged in the V shaped tunnel. That is my first of many “get me out of this God and I’ll never do another stupid thing the rest of my life” prayers.

Mine and many other men’s prayers have been answered in caves. Whether prayers for protection from being found, like David’s, or not being found, like the 33 Chilean miners recently, men have a history of praying in and around caves. But the most powerful prayer from a cave is undoubtedly the one we all pray from our caves of darkness and entrapment in this life. In that prayer we give thanks for the one who was placed dead in a cave and, as promised, was resurrected and walked victoriously from it giving men the hope of victory over death once and for all time.

Bless you brothers, live this day in peace, in His Word.