Good Day, Kingdom Friends!

I have been away for a while, attending to family and transitions. It has given me an opportunity to re-focus and gain new insight and revelation that I look forward to sharing with you all. Today we are going to turn our attention to the Cave experience. If you are a prophet of the Lord, you have experienced and may currently be experiencing the Cave: a time of isolation, separation, and solitude. Having been called as a Watchman, we should be in the tower or on the wall, seeking a word from the Lord, looking for signs of danger or attack, overseeing the city and the fields. However, there may be periods of time when the Lord wants to develop something in us, break something off of us, or prepare us for another assignment, just as a part of our prophetic timeline (What Time Is It?). Or we may become discouraged and retreat to a cave out of fear or even because of weariness.

The personalities of prophets can be considered “strange” by those who do not understand how the Lord processes, speaks to, and uses His prophets. Throughout the Bible there are many scenarios where a prophet of the Lord dwells in a cave for a period of time. You may feel as though you are in a cave season at this very moment.

In the natural, caves are recesses in rocks that are formed by chemical or erosion forces of water. The continual dripping of water on a hard surface such as rock will erode away the hard places. My wise mentor made the observation once when commenting on whether tears move God, that water softens hard places. Prophet, your tears that have been sown during difficult times just may have created the cave that you have been dwelling in in this previous season. But you can rejoice because the Word tells us that those who sow in tears will reap in joy! (Psalm 126:5)

Let’s consider different reasons the cave can become a place of residence for a prophet. You may find yourself in one of these scenarios.

Lot dwelt in a cave in the mountains after fleeing the city of Sodom following a warning from the Lord of impending destruction. Prior to finding a cave in the mountains, Lot fled to Zoar. Zoar was a place of safety for Lot and his daughters, but it was not God’s perfect will. The place of Zoar was a compromise Lot made with God because Lot did not want to flee to the mountains where the angels first instructed him to go. The name Zoar in Hebrew means “insignificance or smallness.” Do you feel insignificant or small where you are right now? Maybe the word that you delivered wasn’t received well by the king. Maybe you have been living in a place that was not God’s best but was a compromise and a comfortable place, and it has taken its toll on your confidence and self-esteem.  It is time to move from the small place that you find yourself in.

Elijah dwelt in a cave after his great victory over the 450 false prophets of Baal (1 Kings 19). After Elijah’s great victory where the Lord showed Himself mighty and the entire city was a witness to the power of Elijah’s God, a threat from Jezebel caused such fear and discouragement that, instead of standing in the power of God to continue to protect and vindicate Elijah, he ran. He asked God to let him die as he laid under a tree in the wilderness. When he traveled to Mt. Horeb and found a cave to hide in, he was feeling as if he was the only one left who was standing for the Lord God Jehovah.

In Hebrew, Horeb means “dry place” or “desert.” Sometimes our cave experience is self-inflicted because of fear, depression,  discouragement, or even out of weariness. When we seek out a cave from this place,  we seek refuge in a dry place, and we close off our ability to hear from the Lord.

When David hid in the Cave of Adullam from King Saul, until Saul’s death, this was a place of refuge, protection, and preparation for David. Even though he was living in a cave, people were still drawn to David. His family came to him in the cave, and everyone who was dissatisfied with King Saul gathered to David. The men who stayed with David in the cave went through a time of training and consecration (literally set apart), and once they were prepared and Saul had died, they emerged from the cave as Men of Valor.

The cave can be used as a refuge or place of safety. When the enemy is pursuing us, a cave is sought out for protection (Psalm 13:6), to stay hidden, and even for a time of healing, rest, preparation, and training. When a cave is used as a place of refuge by a prophet of God, the Lord sends protection for us. But the cave can be a dangerous place, because just as we seek refuge there, so do other creatures. When we seek refuge in a cave, we must understand the protection that is afforded to us. For the Lord withheld that protection to the captives of Jerusalem. Ezekiel prophesied that those who overtook Jerusalem that were hiding in caves would die from the pestilence. (Ezekiel 33:27)

Caves were also used as a place of burial (Genesis 23:9; 25:9; Gen. 49, 50; John 11:38). Abraham bought a cave to bury his wife Sarah. Isaac and Ishmael buried Abraham in the same cave upon his death. This cave was the burial place for Abraham’s family. Jesus went to the cave where Lazarus was buried to perform His miracle. Jesus was buried in a cave and stones were rolled across the entry.

Whether you have been a cave dweller because of a self-inflicted isolation due to fear, depression, or discouragement, or because of an ordained period of safety and refuge for rest, preparation, and training while the enemy pursues; or because something has died, the common outcome is that when you emerge from the cave, you enter into your time of service, positioning, and placed on your platform of reigning and ruling in victory.

For many cave dwellers, NOW is the time to emerge. If you have been hiding in a cave as a result of depression, discouragement, or fear, I break off every doubting, fearful, heavy spirit and release the spirit of faith, boldness, and the garment of praise over you. Arise and stand on the cleft and wait for the Lord to pass by. Let His presence wash over you and listen for His still, small voice.

For every cave dweller whose time of refuge has been for preparation and training for battle, breaking off old mindsets and thought processes, strengthening and encouraging to move forward, NOW is the time to emerge from your caves.  For the cave dweller who has been hidden away because something has had to die within you so that you can rule and reign as a King and Priest, NOW is the time to arise, cast off the burial clothes, and take up your position of authority.

We are in the season when the overlooked and forgotten are now sought after. The lost and hidden are now found. You are the voice for the voiceless. You are part of an army that is arising to create disruption and shift paradigms. You are no longer a Cave Dweller! I pray that you move forward to operate in the prophetic destiny laid out for you and spoken over you before the foundations of this world, Beloved.  Go. Speak. Do.