Again, a welcome and a greeting to each one that is here this morning, home folks and visitors alike. This was not in my notes. I was looking through my Bible. This is something that on this day, 56 years ago, something happened that affected the lives of thousands of people. I have a note here in my Bible, Aidan Troyer, November 26th, 1967, ordained to the ministry at Maranatha. Leona probably well remembers that day, but Aidan's preaching has impacted thousands of people, my life included. That wasn't in the notes of my message. I just thought you'd like to know. Turn with me to 1 Samuel chapter 24. Our time's just a bit limited here this morning. I may need to cut out a few things. But I've entitled the message this morning, In the Cave of Adullam. In the Cave of Adullam slash how big is your God? And so that is the word that you'll be hearing a bit more of today. So let's begin reading in 1 Samuel chapter 24. Actually, you have your finger there. Maybe for the sake of time, I may need to change course here just a bit. But just some questions to start with. In our world today, there is seemingly an abundance of fear and uneasiness and even loneliness. Occasionally, you'll see the headlines in, I do, in the paper that I get. and other places, it seems like, and it's been true, no one is quite sure about the future. What does the future hold? And that's basically been a fact ever since time began. We don't know the future. No one knows that except God himself. And for some people, not knowing the future is a fairly terrifying thing. And I ask the question, how big is your God? How big is my God? Does the fear of the future cancel out the joy and the praise and the thanksgiving of today? Are you paralyzed by that thought? Oh, some people say, oh, there's dark clouds gathering on the horizon. It's getting worse now. It's worse now than it's ever been in history, which isn't true. If you hear someone say that, challenge them. We only have this little snapshot of 50, 60, 80 years. We have no idea what it was like 2,000 years ago in the fact that we didn't live it, or 3,000, or 5,000. Yeah, are there dark clouds? Yeah. Have there always been dark clouds? Yeah. Has anybody known the future? No, except God. Just some questions I want to put out there. Is God bigger than my problems? To get us to think. I was reading my Bible here just recently and I came across something that I'm going to be preaching on here this morning. You know, it seems that in a world that seemingly to us is growing increasingly hostile to the things which are right and good and just and pure, where does my soul find rest? Where does your soul find rest? Now, I ask you to turn to 1 Samuel, I jump the gun. Let's go to Psalms 57 now instead. Shall we? Psalm 57. And that's where I was reading. And I want to read that psalm. It's a short psalm. It doesn't take but a minute or two to read it. And as I was reading that, in my personal reading time, my time with God, I'm working through the psalms, and I read 57 here last week. It says this, Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me, for my soul trusteth in thee. Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge until these calamities be overpassed. I will cry unto God, Most High, unto God that performeth all things for me. He shall send from heaven and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. My soul is among lions, and I lie even among them that are set on fire. Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows in their tongue, a sharp sword. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let thy glory be above all the earth. They have prepared a net for my steps. My soul is bowed down. They have digged a pit before me. Into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves." Selah. Think on this. My heart is fixed, O God. My heart is fixed. I will sing and give praise. Awake up, my glory. Awake, psaltry and harp. I myself will awake early. I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people. I will sing unto thee among the nations, for thy mercy is great unto the heavens and thy truth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let thy glory be above all the earth. What is significant about this psalm? Does anyone know? Who wrote it? What does your Bible say? David did. Where did he write it from? In the cave. What cave? Well, we don't know for sure. In chapter 22 or in 18, it says he was in the cave of Adullam. What was going on in David's life that he penned this psalm? And that's what caught my attention. Thank you for that, Brother Phil. It says there in my Bible, the heading there, this is David when he fled from Saul in the cave. And this is what David wrote while he was in that kind of a predicament. And the wording here, as I again read the psalm, I read it several times, to try to pick up nuances, and being in a specific place, writing and using the words that he did, it helped me understand the psalm better. As you look at those 11 verses, I'll just open it. Is there a phrase or something that stands out to you that may have David chose these words because of the location where he was in? Would someone have some input on that? The I wills. Okay, very good. We'll touch on that just a bit later. Thank you. Yes. Yes, from those that would swallow me up. There were people who wanted David out of the way and he knew it. And he's writing about this. Someone else. Verse one would have a very clear indicator there. Maybe two of them. God's mercy. There's two more in verse one. Shadow of thy wings. He's in a cave. He's actually in a protected area. Thank you for that, Angela. Another one. Refuge. There's another word in verse one. Calamities. Calamities. Until these calamities be passed. How many of you are facing calamities right now? Maybe not to the extent that David did. But I would submit to you, just like in my life, there's always things we're working through. How could David pen Psalm 57 in the cave that he was in, in the calamities that he was facing, and yet verse 5 and verse 11 are identical? Well, we'll unpack this just a little bit more. Thank you for that input. Yes, in verse 1, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge. until these calamities be overpassed." Verse 3 says, he shall save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. David was confident in his God. Verse 7, my heart is fixed. I'm not changing God. My heart is fixed. It says it twice for emphasis there. I will sing and give praise. And where is he at? in the cave. How big is your God? How big was David's God? I just marveled as I tried to soak in what Psalm 57 all contained for today's life, for us today. What lessons in God's Word. See, God's Word says that these things were all written for an and sample to us. So the things that happen in scripture. Brothers and sisters, it is very encouraging when you're going through something, always think back, is there something in the Bible that mirrors what I'm going through? Because what's in the Bible is written as an example, in sample, encouragement for us today. Don't think that you're the only one going through these things. We heard this morning of a young man who was struggling about purpose and plan that God had for his life. Listen, if you've given a word of encouragement to anyone in the last week or the last year, your life has purpose. We're here for each other. We're not here for ourselves. David knew that. Verse 11 and verse 5, be thou exalted. I marvel, Brother Neil brought out the idea of I will factor, and I'm impressed with that. Verse 7, I will sing and give praise. Verse 9, I will sing unto thee, and I've preached on that before. But it is imperative, brothers and sisters, where is our focus? David was, he, be thou exalted, O God. In verse five, and again in verse 11, be thou exalted, let thy glory. And that tells us a very basic, elementary, fundamental fact. When you focus on yourself, your troubles are 10 times bigger. than they really are. But here was a man who focused on God. Be thou exalted, let thy glory. And I submit to you, therein lies the secret for a fulfilled life. When you and I focus on others instead of ourselves, our world changes. And I did some research in Psalms itself. There are at least over a hundred verses that David or the writers of Psalm, David didn't write all the Psalms, but the I will, that phrase is found there. And when you and I in our hearts say, I will sing unto thee, I will sing and give praise, if that is our default setting, your life is going to radiate in such a way that others are attracted to it. And that's the way it should be. When it's all about me, pity me, me, me, me, my, my, my. People really don't get excited about all your troubles. They don't about mine. That sounds kind of cold and callous, doesn't it? I don't mean it that way. But most of us have enough troubles of our own to occupy ourselves full time, don't we? And yet we want to pray for each other. Please, don't misunderstand that. But a soul and a life that is vibrant and shining for God and praising God and singing praise to Him is like a beacon of light on a dark, stormy night. It's attractive. Now, back in 1 Samuel 24, I'm just gonna have to reference that just quickly here. There's some things that stand out in the passage there. This is the account. David and his men are in the cave. Saul comes in. into that hiding place and seemingly takes a nap. David's men are whispering to him, David, here's your chance. David, here's what God was talking about. Just go and kill your enemy. Just get rid of him once and for all. You talk about peer pressure. These were mighty men. These were, I don't have time to go, and if you do some research, you'll read, this was a ragtag bunch. Dare I say it that way? I mean, it was, I thought I had it here, but these were men who were in debt. These were men who were discontented. These were men who, I'm not sure if I'd wanna be with them too much, but these were the men that were with David. And it says, Behold, the day of the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privately. Afterwards his heart smote him. He said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of God. The Lord. So David stayed his servants with these words, suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave and went on his way." Now, I was going to read that entire chapter, but we're not going to. I'll just, there's some things here that I noted about David. What was it about David that allowed him to write a Psalm 57 in the depths of despair? And what lessons can we draw for us today? Well, one thing I see is David had a healthy respect for his authority. And I want to say that very carefully because it seems that is an area in many lives and churches that is crumbling. Look at what David had to say. He said, the Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed. And again, He is the anointed of the Lord. And again, in verse 10, I will not put forth mine hand against my Lord, for he is the Lord's anointed. This Lord's anointed had told Doeg to fall on 85 priests that wore the ephod, men of God, ministers of the tabernacle there. One man killed 85 defenseless Levites, this anointed of the Lord. You talk about a man, David, who had a respect for his Lord, which was also his, what other relationship did David have with this man? Father-in-law. Can you see how wrinkled this thing, how convoluted it gets? But David respected that. And in the conversation, David says, the Lord judge between me and thee, the Lord, the Lord avenge me on thee. And he told Saul that. But mine hand shall not be upon thee. Brothers and sisters, I don't understand it. When you are mistreated or I am mistreated, David said, I will not, I will not. touch the Lord's anointed. Am I setting myself up so that you don't hit me? No, no, no, no. That's not what I'm saying. All of us are under authority. But look at David's healthy respect for Saul. Saul was the king. Saul was his father-in-law. Saul was the anointed of God. And David had already been anointed as well. There are things in this passage that just beg for more understanding and more exposition. How big is your God? David knew, I'm not gonna touch my Lord's anointed. The Lord, the Lord avenge me on thee. That's where he left it. Verse 16, after David was finished speaking, Saul says, is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and what did he do? Saul wept, the biggest man in Israel, head and shoulders above any other man, and he weeps, because the words of a godly man penetrated where no armor could keep those words from. David spoke truth. Saul knew it. Saul said, I know that you're gonna get the kingdom, but promise me this, David, swear to me that you won't cut off my seed after thee. It was out of that environment that Psalm 57 was written. And as I pondered those, I was, I must say, I was just deeply impressed and just loved it. Now, that's not the end of the story. I invite you to turn to Psalm 142. Psalm 142, only seven verses. Just a shorty. Here again, David is the writer. And this is another psalm from the same place. Would someone wanna volunteer to stand up and read this for us? Someone with an open Bible on your lap, just stand up and read in a loud, clear voice, please. Brother Brett, yes, go ahead. I'm frightened of the Lord with my voice. With my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaints before him. I showed before him my troubles. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked hath a privily laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld that there was no man that would know me. Refuge, fail me. No man cares for my soul. I cried unto thee, O Lord. I said, thou art my refuge. Thank you for that. Verse 6 and 7, are there some words in there that again give you an indication of where this psalm came from? What are they? Attending to my cry. Okay. Someone else. Yes. Thank you for that, Mary. Very low. Absolutely. Yes. And some more. There's a few more there. Persecutors, yes. Deliver me from my persecutors. I'm very low, God. I'm one step away from death. They are stronger than I. Indeed, 3,000 is a lot more than 400. Verse 7, is there something in there that you see that's an indicator of where this was written? Prison, absolutely. Bring my soul out of prison. Do you understand, do we understand when a man who's on fire for God is confined to a small area, it's almost like he can't hardly, it's like a bird in a cage that wants to break free, but he was confined and he's praying to God. I cried unto the Lord. I cried unto him. I poured out my complaint. My spirit was overwhelmed. No one was there. His men had said, go ahead and kill him. It seemed like he stood by himself. Anyhow, Psalm 142 is the second psalm that was written from that perspective. The psalm begins with crying and it ends in praise. Matthew Henry says this, the voice of prayer awakens the voice of praise. So if I've not been praising God like I ought, it's likely because my prayer has not been as it ought. We grow the most when we're in trial and trouble. Had David prayed as much on the throne as he did in the cave, I doubt that the Bathsheba story would have ever happened. Think about that. How big is your God? Well, there's a few lessons that I want to bring out of these two Psalms. David's I will of the heart, that attitude toward God, I will sing, I will praise, I will trust, I will declare, I will, I will, I will, I will. And it was all flowing upward out of a heart of a redeemed man. I think that kind of attitude gave him the strength to say I won't to his friends. David, just go ahead, Saul's there, just kill him, get rid of him. David says, I won't. Because he had said, I will. Praise God. I will not do this. David's steadfast faith in God sustained him in his trials. David's focus was on God, not his problems. I had mentioned that earlier here, but it bears repeating. And this allowed him to give heartfelt praise to God. It was all about him. Now, not always. David was a man. He fell, I understand. I don't want to lift him up as a man of perfection, but the Bible does say he was a man after God's own heart. What he longed for was a relationship with God. And here's another lesson. David's trust and his willingness to leave the future in God's hands, the unknown future, allowed him to be very present in the present. One of my sons reminds me several times, Dad, wherever you are, be all there. Have you ever been someplace and you weren't all there? Yeah, you talk to somebody and ask them a question, they get this glazed look because they were there, but they weren't there. They were listening, they were somewhere else. That's the idea. David's left the future in God's hands. And someone else said this, there is no cave deep enough or dark enough to keep our prayer from being heard. And that's solace for us today. Think of Jonah. There was no fish that could swim deep enough or far enough. David in the cave and Jonah in the fish both prayed upward to a God who could deliver, to a God who could hear. Distance and darkness make no difference for the prayer of the saint. It won't hinder it. Well, how big is your God? What promise are you holding onto so that peace and joy can flood your soul? My heart is for this congregation here, for each one here if you're a visitor, that your life and my life would be so full of God that we just radiate out that light, that salt, as God would have it to because those things are attractive. We don't do it to gain brownie points. I preached a message, was it last Sunday maybe, a commissioning for a couple going to Kenya in Kentucky. And I said this, God's desire is not necessarily that the heathen hear the gospel, although it is. What is God's primary desire? And this comes out of Oswald's Chambers book, My Utmost for His Highest. God's burning desire for every life here this morning is that you and I know Him. That is the most basic and the fundamental truth in the Christian life. When you and I know Him as our Heavenly Father, and He is everything to us, Out of that relationship then flows all these others. Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel. Say something to your neighbor. When the Spirit speaks to you, move under that compulsion. But when Bibles stay closed and we never look at them, we take them to church on Sunday, and even there they sit closed, do you think God's word can speak to my heart if I never look into it and read it? Absolutely not. There must be a living, vibrant connection with the child of God to his heavenly Father. We need to know him and know him and desire to know him. And even when we know him, there's a desire to even know him better. Well, the Stillwaters article of November 21st was the one that caught my attention. Many of you probably read it, but it was entitled Sing. Jonathan Hershberger from British Columbia, Port Clements, British Columbia wrote it. And he said this, and he referenced the children of Israel. And he says in that passage, in Exodus chapter 14, verse 13, that chronicles this event, fear you not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. And then the last part of that verse, the Lord shall fight for you. Who else do you want fighting for you? Now that's a bit of an aside to what David's story was, but it still ties in. Who was fighting for David? The Lord was. Who's fighting for you? How big is your God? See, some people think, I have to do something. I have to have my hand on the wheel to steer this ship, because I want to know what the outcome is, instead of just trusting God. I maintain this morning, and I have for years, one of the hardest things for me and you to do is to trust. We say we do, and then we still want to control the situation. David said, be thou exalted. Fear not, the Lord shall fight for you. This is the secret of the child of God. It is in this position that the heart finds rest and the soul finds peace. The Lord shall fight for you. Moses said, stand still, don't do a thing, just stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. We have an advocate with the Father. We have a Redeemer in Israel. Jehovah is His name and love is His manner. He exalts over us with singing. He it is that will save His beloved children from the fire of eternal hell. He it is that will be with us in the water that threatens to overwhelm us and the fire that threatens to destroy us. The Lord shall fight for, who? You! Who is you? Raise your hands if you are you! Amen. Do we believe it? God's Word has the answer. And that as I sat there in my chair that morning and I let these things, these truths flood over me, I realized, Philip, you don't have to fight. Yes, I need to be faithful, but the Lord will fight for you. Imagine the people's eyes, how they must have grown wide with wonder and amazement as the waters of the Red Sea through which they had passed. Some say they might have been 60 foot tall, but wall of water on each side. And the blue storybook that I read to our children, I think three times over in the course of raising our children, has a picture of a young boy picking up a rock, if you remember, and throwing it in the side of that wall of water. Whether that's true or not, I don't know. The author thought it probably makes a good illustration. Remember it, Neil? Okay, you say, so it made an impression. He remembers, all right. And so the children of Israel had walked through there. And now they're on the other side, this big, wide, empty, dry ground through the middle of the sea that had saved them from the army. And now the army is coming and they stand there. What shall we do? You might be standing there right now watching something coming. What shall we do? And Moses says, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Put yourself in the story. Moses said, the Lord will fight for you. A couple Sundays ago, I woke up, I was supposed to preach in another place, and my voice was not cooperating, I could barely talk, sitting there at the breakfast table, and my brother just came over, laid his hands, and prayed, and immediately my voice came back. And that's no exaggeration. I was there. God can work as we pray for him. These people were told, don't do anything. The Egypt that they had left behind was now coming to bring them back. The Egyptian army was being drowned before their very eyes. The army that had kept them captive For their entire life was being destroyed in front of their very eyes as Moses held that rod. And those walls of water came crashing down. There flies a chariot. Over here flies a horse. There flies a... You know, and the Egyptians, the Israelites are just watching that. Because God had said, stand still. and see the salvation of the Lord. The Lord will fight for you. Egypt suddenly realized, hey, let's get out of here and wanted to turn back, but it's too late. That's a visual example for them. It's a written example for us because the same God is still fighting for you and you and each one of us. Oh, hallelujah. What a mighty deliverance. Well, in conclusion, turn to Isaiah 43. I want you to see something in Isaiah. Isaiah 43, can you turn to that? Isaiah 43, verse two, I wanna leave and finish with this here. There's some things I needed to cut out here, but that's okay. Is God big? How big is your God? Is he going to be there? The trial I'm in right now, does he know about it? Absolutely he does. Isaiah was writing this, and yes, he was writing to the Israelites, but remember, all scripture is given for inspiration. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned. neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Let's kneel and pray. Heavenly Father, the writer of your word, the author of your word, God, thank you for the words that we read just now. You will be with us. God, that is such a great promise. You will fight for us as we have hearts that are clean and lives that are pure. You are our advocate. You are our Redeemer. You are our Jehovah God, our Savior. Help us as David. I will sing praise. I will exalt you for you are worthy. Oh God, may my heart Develop more of that bent, that in every situation in life find you to be the answer. Find in you my all in all. God bless the congregation here this morning and each one here, that we can cast all our care upon you, for you care for us. There are those in our lives that are hurting, that are dying, that are sick, that are wounded. There are those who have left the faith and are walking in darkness and in their own so-called freedom. Father, all we can do is pray. Help us to have a burden to pray for such. But help us also to exalt in You and allow You to be the central focus in our life. I pray that each heart and soul here this morning, mine included, there would be a hunger and a thirst after righteousness. There would be a deep down longing to know you better, and even as we know you better, even to know you yet better, more yet. So God, help us. Help us in the cave of Adullam. Help us in the midst of our trials. Help us as we watch the enemy coming, that we would trust you and our hand in yours would be steady. for you are fighting for your children. It doesn't always turn out the way we think, Father, but we know that you have plans. You have good plans for us. You will not leave us nor forsake us. You are our God, and we trust in you. Help us, in Jesus' name, amen. Turn the time back to Brother Phil.