You notice there's a contemplation or a meditation, I think King James says, and the superscription. And we see several of those in the book of Psalms. And this word could be probably is contemplation meditation, but it really carries the idea of didactic, which means teaching. So this is a teaching psalm. This is a psalm of the voice of experience. Now, when we say that, it sounds like it was written right in the middle of one of the lowest points in David's life. And yet we see that he uses it. Did he use it later on when he was talking to his mighty men? Did he use it later on in his ministry as king? whatever, but it was a teaching psalm that really brings out to what Paul says in Romans chapter 5, and of course in the King James it says, tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope. Well those terms there are like so many words in the Greek, they carry more and just like patience isn't enough. Patience is, it's not the idea of John just waiting and I'm just in, but it's the idea of enduring. And it's the idea of steadfast endurance. It's not that I'm just holding on for dear life, but I am, I'm waiting on God. They that wait on the Lord. And we said waiting on the Lord has two different meanings. It means waiting as service as a waiter would wait. And it also means that we are biding our time. But it's, so it's patience. And then so tribulation work with patience, patience experience. Now, there again, the word for experience is a word that means a developing character. It's like a, okay, let's say a sports player. And they have proven by the problems that they've had, or the tests that they've been under, that they can handle the job. And so that's the idea of, character or experience. And then the last, of course, is hope. And so these things, as we see, we go from tribulation to patience, for patience to experience and experience to hope. Or, as we said, from the idea of tribulation to perseverance, to character, and then to hope. And so, as we look at this psalm, I'll try to bring out this as we read it. I cry out to the Lord with my voice. With my voice to the Lord, I make my supplication. I pour out my complaint before him. I declare before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then you knew my path. In the way in which I walk, they have secretly set a snare for me. Look at my right hand and see, for there is no one who acknowledges me. Refuge has failed me. No one cares for my soul. I cried out to the Lord. I cried out to you, O Lord. I said, you are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. Attend to my cry. I am brought very low. Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise your name. The righteous shall surround me, but you shall deal bountifully with me. Now this psalm has some of the strongest statements in the Bible, especially in the idea of being down. Now, we could think of, as we said, the Hebrew word for meditation is the word mashiel, which is in the superscription. So this is a meditation. This is something where he's thought about it, and now he's telling others about what God has done with him. The experience is in the cave. and how did he learn to pray in the caves? And we see that it's a psalm of instruction because of the good lessons he learned in the cave. He learned on his knees and so learned he desired to teach others. That was what Matthew Henry said. He learned these in the cave and now he's desiring to teach others. There are eight songs, eight cave songs if you want to call them. There's 7, 34, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, and 142. These are the cave songs. These are the songs where they're using a dulem, which would have been the first cave or later on in the years. in Getty. And of course it was in Getty where he cut off Saul's garment and so forth. But we see that these were some very dark times in his life. Imagine being about 20 years old. Now 17 years old is when he killed Goliath. He spent how many years in Saul's court and now he's been on the run. And of course he has run from Saul and he even ran to Achish And at Akash, remember, he just let slobber go all over his beard and everything and acted like a weird guy. And he knew that those people there were superstitious of people that acted insane. And so that's the only way he escaped because, you know, people said, wait a minute, the guy has killed a lot of us, so why should we let him here? And so he escaped, but he runs to the cave of a dulep. And now he's thinking, you know, Lord, several years ago, you anointed me as King, or Samuel did, and where is it? And, you know, I've already been, you know, after Goliath, it's been a downhill plunge for me. I mean, I got married to the king's daughter and now, you know, I'm having problems there. The king has tried to kill me twice before now. He's trying to kill me every day. I'm a wanted man. I got a target on my back. I don't know, I can't go home because everybody's looking for me. And by the way, we know that later on he was able to get his family and take them to Moab. Now, why did he take his family to Moab? Why did he feel like there was a safe place in Moab for his family, for his mother especially? because of Ruth, that was his great-grandmother. So you see all those connections in the Bible. And so we see that, but he's down now. I mean, he is, I mean, he's, when you get rejected and now you're a reject of the rejects, you get rejected by your people. Nobody's gonna be for you because there's all that political. If somebody stands up for you, they're gonna be killed by Saul. And so nobody's gonna really come forward and be with you. And then you have all the problems and all the unknowns. And now you are in a cave. What do I do in a cave? What am I doing here? And you told me I was going to be king one day. but it doesn't look like it. People who've studied things like this, you'll see it in the Bible. When God calls you to do something, many times he'll put you through a test and someone has called it the death of the vision before God takes everything out. And we'll see even a quote that I have here for you later on. But then when God gets everything out of you, that's when God can start using you. Think of, think of Joseph. Did Joseph not have a vision that one day he was gonna rule over his, But what went on, 17 years old, he was 30 before it came around. David was 17 years old, now he's gonna be 30 before he becomes king. It's kind of interesting. And did both of them have a lot of problems? Big problems. And I'm sure that Joseph in those prison cells, he lost his shirt or lost his coat twice. Every time he thought he was going well, then he lost a coat. until he finally got a coat that was better than any coat they'd ever had before. And so we see that many times God puts us through trials. I know when I felt like God was calling me into the ministry, my whole world fell apart. Just all kinds of things were going on. I really didn't know what was going on at home and things kept changing. And my mother passed away with cancer and then the whole family was, I don't want to get in, other than the fact that I didn't really, one of the strangest things was when I went back to college, I always kind of dreaded Christmas because I didn't know where to go. I mean, I didn't really have a home. I didn't really, Yeah, I was got to stay and work there or find a job and work part-time to, you know, over the Christmas holidays. I didn't really know what I wanted to do. And of course, since I was in the dorm, that meant if I had to leave the dorm, then a lot of different things. So there were a lot of just one thing after another, after another. And yet during that time, God was working in blessing. And I didn't see it at the time. But now I can look back and see how that God, I know whatever will befall me, Jesus led me all the way. And that'll be true in so many people's lives, especially young people. When they're 18, 19 years old, they feel like God's wanting them to do something. 18 to 24 years old is usually, I mean, there's a lot of ups and downs, but yet during those times are some of the most basic and permanent decisions you'll make in life. And actually, of course, that spreads out even more than 18 to 24. I was 34, ever got married. That was another major milestone. But all those different things. And so we see that tribulation does work endurance. I mean, it's you learn how to hang on. It works patience. You learn to wait on God while you're hanging on endurance. And then as a result of that, you have experience, but you have experience because you have seen your characters starting to be developed. Does it make sense? And then as a result of that, the older you get, and I just had a birthday yesterday, you can look back and say, been there, done that, or, you know, I've been through the experience, and Lord, if you've done it before, you can do it again. And so this is what David as a young man is going through. And so we see that this idea of refuge, you know, he says, refuge has failed me. No one cares for my soul. That's one of the strongest statements of rejection in the Bible. And I've heard messages preached on that. And it's, what do you do when you're down? I mean, when everything, refuge. I mean, I don't even have a place to hide. I don't have any refuge. I don't have anybody to go to. Nobody really cares. Or I feel like nobody cares, although later on you find out they do. But at the time, you're alone. And so you really get down on, you can get down on yourself unless you learn how to really tap into the faith in our Lord. And so we see that, like what G. Campbell Morgan said, there are two notes running side by side through this song. The first is that of this terrible sense of hopelessness and helplessness so far as man is concerned. The other is that of the determined application of the helpless soul to Jehovah. So one, you've got this total dejection and a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. And then the other is a determined application of that helplessness to Jehovah. Lord, you promised me and you tell me in 1 Peter chapter 5, you care for me. Okay, I'm hanging on. I want to see. And so I just noticed that I corrected some of this and I hope it didn't go back. There were several kind of funny corrections and sometimes I correct these things and then when I save it, it goes back to the other. So I hope I don't, there were a couple, one that was embarrassing. that I hope I corrected, we'll see. But notice, if David recorded these thoughts while in the cave, he was teaching Didactic Michiel, others of his experience. In other words, this psalm probably may have been written in a cave, or he definitely recorded or thought very deeply. He never forgot the feelings he was having there. And this echoes the thought of Paul, which we just mentioned. Okay, so let's look at it. First of all, tribulation. Notice now he is gonna say, I cry out, I'm in trouble. And so I like what he says, I cry out with my voice. I like what Spurgeon says here, silent prayers are often true prayers, but there are times when an extremity of suffering, it is very helpful to give expression to our soul's agony. Very often, the use of the voice helps keep the thoughts from wandering and also gives intensity to the desires. So sometimes, have you ever prayed and you're praying silently and all of a sudden, about 15 seconds later, you're off into la-la land? Sometimes it's better just to pray, even whisper, because that keeps your mind on what you're praying about. Now, whisper a prayer in the morning, whisper a prayer in the evening. How's that song go? Whisper a prayer at noon. Yeah, keep your heart in tune. So there again, the idea of sometimes using our mouth will keep our attention on what we're doing. And so he is saying, with my mouth, with my mouth I have made known. You know, we've heard, we've sung songs like that. But so we see that he is saying, Lord, I'm crying out. Now, later on, you're gonna see it's in past tense. I cried out, that's experience. But here he's saying, I'm crying out to you in my present problem. I pour out my complaint. That's a very interesting word in the Hebrew. It means holding nothing back. I mean, he's pouring out his heart. He's just really letting it go. And by the way, when you do that, as long as you're respectful, I think we can verbalize sometimes our doubts or our confusion. Lord, this doesn't make sense. I felt like you wanted me to do this, but look what's happened. Lord, here I was trying to be nice to this person because you told me to, and I get stabbed right in the heart. What's going on? Is it wrong to pray like that? No, as long as you're respectful, don't do, Lord, you lied to me. No, no, no, no. But there again, there's nothing wrong with what are you doing? God already knows that. He already knows what you need for. You ask. We've seen that several times now. But but the idea is, as we've said many times, the best counseling is listening. And when a person can pour out their heart, then the counselor can many times take it and put it back together. Or the Holy Spirit takes it and puts it back together, because he is gonna teach us all things, right? And so again, it's nothing wrong with crying out to the Lord. In fact, it's something very good about crying out to the Lord. especially when you feel like no one else is going to understand you. And well, even if other people understand you, isn't it better for your primary counselor to be God? You know, so many times, oh, if I could just get together with some of the people at church, I need a friend. Well, we do. I do. I've been there, done that. They're gonna experience. But at the same time, crying out to the Lord is so amazing, what God does in bringing that friend along that you never even thought of. You know, just what God does. And he, ding, turns on the light, you know? And so we cry out and we make, you know, with our mouth and the word complaint is not, he is not griping. Okay, that was corrected because I left out the not there. I said David was griping. No, he was not griping. And so we see that he had troubled thoughts. But he was not, if it was a complaint, it's a very strong word here. It wasn't a complaint in the sense that we have, that's too strong of a word, but it was trouble. Lord, what's going on? I don't understand. I'm not complaining. Lord, you did this. No, no. You're gonna lead me, but I'm having trouble, Lord. I'm a dingbat. I don't understand what you're doing. Do you ever feel that way? I mean, you feel like a fool and you've fallen on your face twice and you don't know if you can get up again. And so you just pour it out to the Lord. And so, and I like that where he says, I poured out my complaint before him. Now, David was going to hang on to the Lord, no matter what. Can you think of his enemy? And when he couldn't get ahold of the Lord, he didn't wait. And we talked about that was Saul's big fault. He couldn't wait on God. But where did he spend his, where did he get counsel of the last night of his life? From a witch. And so many people, oh, I can't trust the Lord, I gotta go talk to this, there's a medium down the street here. If you wanna go, no, please don't go. But there's people that read Palm Reader and all those different things. So, but do you really trust that? Do you wanna turn on your horoscope? Maybe that'll help you, maybe Chinese fortune cookie. I'm looking for something that'll tell me, just give me some encouragement. Well, you're looking in the wrong place, pal. You know, it is you're looking to the Lord and allow him and the word to get into our heart and to all of a sudden thoughts start coming to us from the word of God. The more we know it or the preaching of the word or the teaching or a friend that comes along. That's happened to all those things have happened to me where God just brought the right person or the right message or the right circumstances or reading the word. And it just jumps out at you. Now isn't that what we want? So I'm in tribulation. So Lord, I'm searching. Seek and you shall find. Well, Lord, I'm looking and it sure is hard. I'm not finding it yet. I must be blind as a bat because you have it out there. You promised you'd care for me. And so we see that he's under great tribulation here. But then we have the patience, perseverance. He says, I'm not going to let God go. Remember what Morgan said? There's a parallel of a sense of terror and then a faith. I mean, there's a sense of hopelessness and helplessness. And yet, hey, God's out there somewhere. God is dealing with me. And even though I don't understand, he knows the path that I take. And when I am tried, I shall come forth as gold." God never moves without purpose or plan when trying his servant and molding him in. And so we see that David saw that. So in perseverance, we notice, you knew my path. So notice he goes back and he remembers what he knows. or he rehearses what he knows. When my spirit was overwhelmed in me, then you knew my path. So I look back on it and I said, I didn't know anything. All I know is that God told me something. And he knows my path. He knew I was gonna have these problems before he ever called me. He knows the path that I take. And so, yes, God told me that he wants me to serve him and I've got joy and peace and joy unspeakable and full of glory. Well, wow, what just hit me? Well, there again, what is God doing? And so he knew the path that I take. He knew my path and the way in which I walk. So he knows what I'm doing. He's seeing my stumbles. And remember back in Psalm 37, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he directeth his way. And though he fall, he will not utterly be cast down, for the Lord will uphold him with his hand. I don't think it was wise for David to go to Achish, right in the middle of all the people, his enemies, and try to seek refuge. That wasn't a wise move. But in spite of it all, God delivered him out of the very, you know, the very hands of the enemy. I mean, he was literally going to be torn apart, should have been. And there's no reason that he should have escaped Achish after what he had done. And yet he looks back on it and says, Lord, have you ever looked on your life and you just grit your teeth at some of the things God delivered you from and you didn't even realize the danger you were in at the moment? And so here, David saw that he knows the way in which I walk. And he says, they have secretly set snares before me. There again, there's that word snares. And we've seen that several times now in these Psalms from Psalm 137 on. And so, snares and traps. And if God is leading me, then he already knows where the snares are. I might not see them, but he does. And either he will reveal them to me, or he will deliver me from them, help me to keep my feet out of the path of them. And so he says, look on my right hand and see. Now, the right hand, of course, is the strong hand, for there's no one who acknowledges me. So I'm kind of a loner now. I mean, all my political friends, I was a hero back just a couple of years ago. I killed Goliath and everybody and all the women and everybody else was saying, oh my, he's killed his 10,000s and all this kind of stuff. And now I'm a goat. You know, nobody wants me. I mean, I grew up to some farmer out here and around South, Southern Judah. And they said, we don't want you around because Saul's after you and he'll kill you if we try to help you. And even the priests, remember the priests weren't safe because they were killed. And so he's saying, nobody really acknowledges me. But God knew those obstacles. And the one thing that God taught me during all those times was that you get to learn as a pastor that a pastor is very lonely job at times. You're around all kinds of people every day. and yet it's one of the loneliest places you can be because people don't quite understand what you're going through or what you're doing. Here you are helping them and you got some of the same problems or you see problems that you can't tell other people about and then you know there are people behind you saying all kinds of things and people that are in front of you saying all kinds of things that you don't trust and yet you got your people that you do. Praise the Lord for those. Just got a text this past week from a man that was one of my very loyal, and he just, he said, I haven't talked to you in six and a half years, how you doing? You know, I'm praising, you know, and he's now got grandkids and all the way, and I saw him go through struggles, and he saw me go through struggles as a pastor, and he was a loyal man. And boy, it just, you know, those are good things. But for every one of those, there's about 10 out there that you, that never understand you. And so what a blessing that is to know that there are people out there. And that's what David is going to find out here. In fact, at the end of the psalm, we're going to see that he didn't even realize it at the time, but God was already working to bring him some people around him. In fact, 400 men, mighty men that were going to make him king. Refuge failed me. No man cares for my soul. Oh, can you get any more dejected than that? Don't have any place to hide and no one is around to help me. Boy, that's lonely. And every one of us are going to go through those. Every one of us is going to go through this at times in our lives. And so, you know, walking with the Lord. I like that old song. I don't know where it came from, but I just remember the chorus. You got to walk that lonesome valley. You got to walk it by yourself. No one else can walk it for you. You got to walk it by yourself. I think that's the words or whatever. Reverend Mr. Black, I think it was an old country song that my dad used to listen to, and I hated country music, but that was one of the things that, one of those old songs I remember. But there again, you will walk that lonesome valley at times, and you gotta walk it by yourself. And the more that we learn to trust God in those lonely times, the more character, the more that we learn to serve God, or that God is faithful. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above that which you are able, but will, with a temptation, make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10, 13. And so you look back on it, and yes, you can see your failures, but you can also see what God has done. And so we look at that. And so we see, no one acknowledges me. And I like what he says here, refuge failed me, but G. Campbell Morgan, again, as he's looking at it parallel here, he says, this was answered by the triumph in the next verses, where he said the faith and words, O Jehovah, thou art my refuge. or you are my refuge. And so many times God has to take everything else out. So all we do is look at him. And David now is learning to be a leader. He's going to learn later on in life that being a king can be a very lonely place. I like what Spurgeon said about that. He said if David had learned to pray as desperately in the palace as he did in the cave, he probably would have never had a problem with some of the things that went on later on in his life. Bathsheba and other things. And so if he had learned how to pray there, if he had prayed as fervently in the palace as he did in the cave, things in life might have been a little different. And so we see that, then the next word I have, I went back to the old King James, experience or character, development of character. And so he says, you are my portion. There's that precious word again. Thou my everlasting portion, more than life to me. But I like what David Guzik says, he's a guy that you can listen to on the internet, these Psalms. If you'll look up whatever Psalm you go to, and just it'll say Bible commentary, and he's done similar to what I'm doing here. But he's got some pretty good stuff at times. But he says, many times in David's seasons as a fugitive, He had reason to believe that all his inheritance in this world was gone, didn't he? I mean, I can't even go back home. There's nothing. I mean, I was seventh of seven brothers anyway, but I don't get anything. But he says, in such times, he had confidence that God himself was his portion, his inheritance. Can we trust God that as the Jim Elliott, the missionary that was killed in Ecuador back in the 50s by the Alca Indians, that great statement that he said, he is no fool to give up that which he cannot, to give that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. And so whatever material things I get on earth, you know, I got a lot of material things around the house right now I've got to get rid of because nobody wants them. At one time they were very precious. But if God is my portion, it just gets better and better. And so we see that he says that he had confidence that God was his portion. And that's all he needed, was him. And then of course, in the land of the living, as we see in that passage. And by the way, the experience, notice there's the, notice the first was I cry, present tense, verse one. Verse five, I cried. There's the effort, there's the experience, there's the character building. And so he said that, I wanna see this in the land of the living. While I'm living, Lord, I wanna see this. Of course, the idea of the land of the living has got a twofold meaning because we know it's both here and the hereafter because we'll never die. But of course, if you look back at Psalm 23, verse six, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life in the land of the living. And I will dwell in the house for ever. in the land of the living, right? And so again, he's saying, I want to see it. I'd like to see it in this life, Lord, but if not, I'll see it one day. And so, because I'll be with you forever. And so you told me I was going to see it in this life. So I hope there'll be a few people around me that are still living when I see it. You know, I'd like for my parents to see it. I'd like for my sisters and brothers to see it. I'd like for, just for those who have doubted what you can do, I'd like for anybody who doubted what you can do to see it. I wanna be vindicated. And so we see that he says, attend to my cry. You always hear, I like, again, what Spurgeon says here. You always hear about Jacob's wrestling. Of course, going back to Jacob. Well, I dare say he did. But it was not Jacob who was the principal wrestler. The wrestling was to take all his strength out of him. And when his strength was gone, then God called him a prince. Now, David was to be the king over all of Israel. What was the way to Jerusalem for David? What was the way to the throne? Well, it was around by the Cave of Doolum. In other words, God had to put him through some trials and problems to prepare him for the rigors of the throne. And so, and what he did, and this is what he does, and I can look back at my life again. He puts you in a situation where you can do nothing but look up. And when you don't have, I mean, the money's not gonna take care of you, your strength isn't gonna take care of you, your friends aren't gonna take care of you, you don't even know who's gonna take care of you tomorrow. And yet all you can do is look up and say, Lord, it's by your mercy that I'm even gonna get through tomorrow. But whatever befalls me, Lord, I know that you do all things well. You got me in a situation where I just gotta look to you. And there's only one way that's up. And so again, so attend to my cry, Lord. You know where I am. I'm helpless and hopeless except for you. You are my hope. Oh God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come. Be thou our guide while life shall last in our eternal home. So again, you are my hope. And if so, we see that in the last verse. So you are, I cried to you. And as he stood, remember, it's almost like he's present tense and still in the cave. But by this time he's starting to talk to people and saying, yes, I cried to the Lord. And this psalm, this is what I wrote, and it's like my little autobiography while I was there in the cave. And let me talk to you 400 guys. You know, we're kind of down right now. You know, Saul's still chasing us, and I don't have any answers for you. You brought your family. 1 Samuel chapter 22 tells us that all the people that were in debt, people that were political enemies of Saul, all kinds of riffraff, He didn't have a lot of rich people. He just had a bunch of people that were rejects coming to him. But then all of a sudden, David started realizing, God, if he's called me to do something, he's got to give me the people to do it. And so it is, you know, I pray for you. We keep talking about jobs and everything. Well, God's got to bring the right people, the right things all around. Isn't that true in all of our lives? I'm praying for the church. Well, we need workers. We need souls. And so God, if you've got us here, you know, yes, that doesn't mean that we just sit around and wait, you know, on flowery beds of ease. No, we get out and do the work, but he knows our path. And so again, we see that he says, my hope, he says, you will deal bountifully with me. Notice isn't that now, here it is, who knows that parallel, help. one of those help psalms, and yet, Lord, you're going to deal bountifully with me. Isn't that a conflict frustration? Isn't that what faith is all about? If there's no reason for doubt, then there's no reason for faith, is there? And so we see, bring my soul out of prison. That's the only time in the book of Psalms we see that word. And he's feeling like he is trapped. And we've seen that, those snaps, traps, and snares, and pits, and everything. We see all those different things that he uses when he's in trouble in the book of Psalms. But this is the only time he says prison. I just feel like I'm totally without, I mean, the bars are around me, the prison house. I'm in Doubting Council, where those bars are out there, and I'm in prison. My chains fell off, my faith, my soul was free. I rose, got up and followed Thee. I probably slaughtered that, but Charles Wesley. Again, we see that, that, David, we all go through those times of doubting counsel, as we see in the Pilgrim's Progress. But he says, you will bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise your name. So Lord, the purpose then is I'm not gonna forget you when you get me out of this mess. How many people have foxhole professions? Lord, you get me out of this and I'll serve you. And then the Lord gets him out of there and said, oh, that was, I just said that. But I see how that God didn't really need to help me in the first place because things worked out. Boy, do I have people that have told me that time after time. When they're in trouble, oh boy, they're ready for the preacher to pray for them on their knees and everything else. But once they get a little bit prosperous and things are over, you don't see them again. But David wasn't that kind of character. God was developing character in this man. And so we see that he said, you bring my soul out of prison and I will praise your name. And of course, back in Psalm 38, which is one of these help psalms again, he says, the Lord will perfect that which concerns me. So notice how the David in these troubles that he's in, He keeps saying, Lord, you're going to do it. Lord, you're going to do it. Optimism, not in self, but in God. Well, when are you going to do it? I don't know. How are you going to do it? I don't know. But Lord, you promised me that you'll never leave me or never forsake me. And so then the righteous shall surround me. Lord, you're going to bring people that I need. And toward the end of his reign, he gets a whole list of mighty men that put their lives on the line for him. Guys that loved him so much that when he just said, man, I'd just like to have a drink out of the waters of Bethlehem, my boyhood, they risked their lives to go get him a drink of water. I mean, that's loyalty. I mean, there are very few, and I don't care how big your church is, or how big your ministry or business, there's only a few people in your life that will ever be like that. I mean, it's just one of those, most people, well, I don't get that, other than the fact that you understand what I'm saying. But he says, the righteous shall surround me. So Lord, you're gonna bring, if you've given me this job, you've gotta give me the people that are gonna help me. And he didn't even realize it, but he was putting people in positions where they had to go to him, just like he was, because they were political hostages or refugees. And so we see that and God raised up those guys and made a fantastic army out of them. And they were the ones who put him on the throne. And they dared anybody from Benjamin to come to get him. And so what men, what great men that God called. And then of course they had their families, but they had their problems at times. At one time they were so discouraged that they wanted to stone him, but God encouraged David. The Bible says David encouraged himself and the Lord is God. That's one of my favorite verses, 1 Samuel 30, verse six, where this was the one time when they lost everything they had, the city of Ziklag where they were, where they had formed their own little, was burned. And David had made a couple of blunders militarily. So they go there and they lost confidence in him. And some of them were even thinking about stoning him. But the Bible tells us that David got alone with the Lord, and David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. If he had never been in the cave of Adullam, I doubt if he would have done it at Ziklag. And so we see that he's learning now character. He's learning that God won't forget, that he's learned how to encourage himself in the Lord is God. And then that last phrase, for you shall deal bountifully with me. And what does Paul tell a bunch of discouraged and pressured Philippians? He says, and my God shall supply all your needs according to what? His riches in Christ Jesus. Can we trust God in that? Can we really? My Lord knows the way through the wilderness. All I have to do is follow. We sing songs like that. But many times, God will put us in a position where we must practice what we sing. We must practice what we read. We gotta practice what we preach. in the caves of the Dulum or in Getting can be just the place, can be a better schoolhouse than the ivy-covered walls of a university. God can teach us so many things when we're alone. Can he not? Okay, any questions or comments about what we've looked at tonight?