When You Feel Like You’re Living in a Cave

By Donna McMorrow

Have you ever been in a cave? To me, caves are dark, cold, dank and oppressive places without much air and having a pervasive smell of mildew. Caves can be somewhat larger and perhaps more comfortable than I imagine, but still, there are many more places where I would prefer to be. 

David, of David and Goliath fame, wrote Psalm 142 in a cave while hiding from King Saul. In verses 3-4, he laments:

“When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who watch over my way.

In the path where I walk
people have hidden a snare for me.

Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
no one is concerned for me.

I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.”

Depressed and desperate, David is crying out to God from the bottom of his heart. Not only is he hiding in a cave, but he is also living there. Have any of you, like David, felt as though you were living in a cave? I  know that I have. There have been times when I’ve felt depressed and overwhelmed. But God is truly faithful. 

In 1 Kings 19, the Old Testament prophet, Elijah, took refuge in a cave when he was feeling sad and alone. Look at how tenderly God spoke to Elijah:

“And the word of the Lord came to him: ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now  they are trying to kill me too.’

“The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of  the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’

“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his  face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave, then the Lord’s voice came to him.”

God did not rebuke Elijah for his depression. God wanted Elijah to learn to recognize the breeze of His presence, the whisper of His voice. God offered him support and comfort. 

So often, we look for the fire of powerful miracles and the dramatic earthquake answers. But when we look for God in only the big ways, we may miss all that He has to say to us. He often speaks in the still, small voice in the quietness of a heart that is humble before Him. God is compassionate to those of us who sometimes live in a cave. Zechariah 4:6 says: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” Let’s watch for His whispers in the simplicity of our days. 

Donna McMorrow and her husband have been married for 41 years. She is a retired special education teacher, adoptive parent, cancer survivor and child of the King. In her free time, she enjoys reading, photography and painting.