1 Samuel 24:3
...a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave.

Ever lived in a cave? Me either. But I've got an idea what it might be like. A little damp, a little musty, a lot of body odor going on and very dark, especially if you are in the back part of the cave like David was. And, of course, this cave was even worse because of what Saul was doing in it (couldn't God have popped up a little Port-a-John for him?)! Definitely not 5 star and absolutely not the accommodations you'd expect for the next king of Israel! But here he is in the back of a cave, running for his life from a madman and who comes walking in? The madman.

What do you do? How do you carry yourself in a situation where the very person who has made your life miserable- the one person to blame for you living in a cave- is vulnerable and yours for the taking? The real question is, if you had been David, would Saul still be alive? Would you have humbled yourself like David did or would you have "helped" God along by getting rid of the nuisance? Those are tough questions, especially in the light of our base hunger for justification and revenge. But God wants us to respond as David did, and we can, especially if we keep a couple things in mind.

First, Saul didn't put David in a cave, and David knew that. He knew that God was in control of his life and that he was in the back of a dirty, smelly, dark cave because God wanted him there. Second, David's actions were not based on his situation, but rather on his knowledge that Saul was still the king. He even told his men that he would not raise a hand against God's anointed. He was able to humble himself before God and trust God to take care of the situation. Take a moment to compare this story with 1 Peter 5:6. God is not after revenge. He is after your life as a vessel which He can use for His glory. Will you humble yourself before Him and trust Him to defend you, protect you, prepare you and make a way out of the cave and onto the throne?

David did and became a great king.

But it all started in the back of a cave.