“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” (IICor. 1:3)
Recently, in looking at the story of David in the cave of Adullam, I realized that God, by His providential mercies, sent David's parents and brethren to him in the cave. The thought occurred to me that the Lord was sending comfort to David while in the cave. David was all alone in the cave, no one would know him, all had forsaken him, no one to show him kindness, but God was always there.
When David said in Psalm 142:5I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living,
David realized that the Lord had not forsaken him and that He was the greatest Friend he ever had. He was One that sticketh closer than a brother
(Prov. 18:24). This seems to be when the Lord really turned on the comfort level for David. We read in I Sam. 22:1, that David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave of Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.
It appears that Psalm 142 was written reflecting upon the time when David was in the cave all alone before his father's house got there. Reading this Psalm gives me the impression that the Lord administered comfort to David by allowing him by faith to see Him as his refuge and portion in the land of the living. The Lord then sent David's family and added other comforts to David.
This was a real blessing to me when I saw this. Just picture yourself in a cave. It's damp and dark, and you are hungry, no real comforts that you might be accustomed to, the powers that be are seeking your life, and you are really miserable. You by now are craving companionship and the Lord allows you to find comfort in Him. You find rest and contentment in Him. Then here comes Mama and Daddy, and the brothers and sisters, and there is a great big family reunion right there in your little cave. God has sent you comforters that come and embrace you and pat and caress you a little, and tell you that they love you. How did they know where you were? Why didn't the king already know where you were? Because God is the great God of providence and the God of all comfort.
It is not the first time that God has sent comforters to comfort His hurting little children. Remember the case with Job? He had lost his children and all his wealth, and had been smitten with boils. This put Job in despair, but when the Lord gave him relief from his boils, we read that Job's brethren cam and comforted him (Job 42:11). Note also our text in II Cor. 1, Paul reminds the Corinthians of the various troubles that he and those with him had encountered for the gospel's sake, and says that God comforted them and that the comforts they were comforted with in turn would minister to others. God comforted the Apostle Paul by the coming of Titus in II Cor. 7:6. When Paul heard through Titus that the Corinthian's mind was fervent toward him, he was comforted.
The hymn writer once said, "O where could I go, but to the Lord." God is the God of all comfort. Amen.
In His love and mercy,
Elder Shannon Whipp