When the Wilderness Becomes Holy Ground

Have you ever been driving and found yourself in the middle of nowhere? All of a sudden, your cell service goes out, and there’s not another car or sign of civilization anywhere in sight. There are no road signs, just endless fields in every direction. It’s that kind of moment where the panic sets in and you start to spiral into the "what-ifs". Sometimes life feels just like that.

It feels like you’ve taken a wrong turn into isolation, uncertainty, and fear. We all know that not every season of life feels like a mountaintop moment. Some seasons feel like being in a cold, dark cave with little hope to be found.

That’s where we find David in 1 Samuel 22. The giant-slayer and anointed future king somehow finds himself hiding in a cave in the wilderness. He had no throne, no crown, no fans, and no direction. David was left in a cave and with a big choice to make. Panic or Praise? And David chose worship.

In Psalm 57, David writes from the cave, “Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May your glory shine over all the earth!” Yet, in the very next line, we see David’s feelings and his situation for what it really is. He says, “My enemies have set a trap for me. I am weary from distress.”

In Scripture, we usually see “the wilderness” to be a place of temptation, trials, and training. Often, the wilderness is a place where we learn how to wield spiritual weapons and face warfare with worship. In fact, most of the prominent Biblical figures had seasons in the wilderness (e.g., Moses, the Israelites, Elijah, John the Baptist, Jesus, etc.). So if you’re in the season now, take heart and know that you are not alone. Yes, the wilderness can be a lonely and challenging place, and David was no stranger to this. But even when we find ourselves in these seasons, God is near, and He often uses these moments to make our faith stronger.

The incredible thing about David in these verses is his unwavering worship in his ever-wavering circumstances. David didn’t wait for his mountaintop moment to worship. He didn’t say, “I’ll worship when I’m out of this cave” or “I’ll worship when Saul stops hunting me.” Instead, in his darkest, loneliest moment, he praises God by saying, “My heart is confident in you, O God. No wonder I can sing your praises!” He demands his heart to worship God and says, “I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations.” (Psalm 57:7-9) And wow! What an incredible example!

David’s worship wasn’t about waiting for circumstances to change, it was about anchoring his heart in the unwavering goodness of God, no matter the situation. David sang with enemies outside the cave and questions in his heart. Why? Because David’s worship wasn’t about his surroundings, it was about his surrender. So often we wait for the perfect conditions to worship. We wait for the right feeling, the right songs, or the right environment. But when we begin to realize that worship is the pathway that turns our wilderness into holy ground, true worship is forged.

The truth is, the wilderness has a way of stirring up questions we thought we knew the answers to. Such as, “God, why would you allow this to happen?”, “God, are you still with me?”, or “God, did I hear you wrong?” David asked questions like this, too. In some of his other psalms, such as Psalm 13 and 142, you can see the raw honesty he brings before the Lord in the wilderness. I want to encourage you with this by pointing out that God didn’t silence David for his questions—He welcomed them. Praise God that our doubts don’t disqualify us from intimacy with the Father! God isn’t intimidated by your uncertainty, He isn’t annoyed by your big feelings, and He’s certainly not waiting for you to “get it together” before He draws close. God is big enough to handle all of it. He is a God who meets us in our caves, in the middle of our wrestling, and reminds us that He is still faithful, He is still good, and He is still there in the midst of it. So bring your questions, bring your fears, and bring your honesty. He can handle them, and He will hold you in the middle of them, too.

It may be extremely hard to worship in the wilderness, but when we do so, it changes us. Worshipping in the wilderness brings clarity to the confusion. It shifts our focus from our weakness to God’s power. In David’s situation, it wasn’t just the words that he wrote that changed him—it was the act of true worship that began to reshape his heart. As he poured out his praise, his perspective began to shift and his strength began to grow. He wasn’t just hiding in the dark, he was meeting God there and allowing God to light up the dark. What if worship in this dry season is the very thing that prepares us for the breakthrough God has ahead of us?

You probably aren’t in a literal cave, but perhaps you’re in a season of waiting, confusion, loss, or fear. Maybe you feel stuck in the middle of nowhere, alone, and unsure of which way to go. Here’s my question for you: Will you worship in the wilderness? You don’t have to wait for the storm to pass or the mess to go away. Worship now, in the middle of your mess. The wilderness may feel like the middle of nowhere, but when you choose to worship, it becomes the place where heaven reaches down and touches earth.

May your roots run deep, and your faith remain strong! As always, Stay Rooted, my friends! <3