There are four hundred strangers who come to David in that cave. Sacred text lists their only credentials as ‘in distress, in debt, and discontented.’ Our 12-step friends would call them restless, irritable, and discontented.
“All those who were in distress, or in debt, or discontented gathered around him and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.” (1 Samuel 22:2)
This passage proves the value of support groups. When we find ourselves restless, irritable and discontented, we gather with others in similar struggles, to share experience, strength, and hope.
The men who gather with David in his cave have nothing to lose. They are broke, busted, and disgusted. But David calls them holy. God carefully hand-selected these individuals who would be known for all time as David’s Mighty Men of Valor.
As we gather in our cave of collective defense mechanisms and dysfunctional behaviors, we find a common bond. We identify our ‘isms and use the declaration of Christ, “It is finished!” to call an end to our fears. For way too long, our caves made us feel safe and protected from our trauma. But in those caves, our ‘isms are hidden. Coming out of the cave means our ‘isms will be exposed, and we will have to face our fears.
David wrote Psalm 142 while hiding, waiting, and healing in a cave. His final verse tells of being released from captivity. We join with him in this request to be released from our own caves. We need freedom from addictions, dysfunctional behaviors, character defects, personality disorders, pessimism, perfectionism, and all those other toxic ‘isms which keep us from our true purpose.
Set me free from my prison so that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather around me because of your goodness to me. Psalm 142:7
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Finding Total Recovery in the Words of Christ, "It is Finished!" 