THE BEAUTY OF THE CAVE

I am so fascinated by 'the cave' experience at the moment. Today I read an amazing NOW word by Holly Moody and it just resonated in my spirit, and then along came something else from David Orton that did the same.
Everywhere I go I find people who have been withdrawn from what they did previously and feel stripped down, being changed and renewed and restored by the Lord, without a real sense of what comes next.
It brought me to thinking about what happens around caves.
We know that David had been anointed to be king, was persecuted by Saul, and then found himself in the cave of Adullam. It was a pretty awful journey, and there wasnt too much that was 'kinglike' about it all! Still, with all his motley crew, living rough, he had a heart that did the right thing by Saul when he came along - shows that something good was going on in that cave! It was part of his journey to being a 'man after God's own heart'.
What about Elijah up there on the mountain top. He'd had great success calling down fire, killing off the prophets of Baal, praying and seeing the drought break, and running ahead of Ahab's chariot for quite a distance, and suddenly everything turns to custard for him. We find him on the mountain top looking for God. I just love it that Elijah goes into a cave in the rock and God puts his hand over it to protect him - who could say God isnt into caves? Elijah then entered the most fruitful period of his life, where he began to reproduce his ministry and anoint those who would bring great change into Israel.
I hear Him tenderly speaking to those He has called into the cave in this present day "my dove in the cleft of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely" (Song of Songs 2:14)
He has called us there to have sweet fellowship with Him. He comes and meets us in the cave, calling us to look at Him, to speak with Him, to hear Him tell us of His love.
Wow, what more could we want? Who cares if the world understands or not, or if the cave doesnt have too many mod. cons. The bridegroom is wooing those who are truly His own, preparing them for eternity.
How beautiful is this cave!