From Caves to Calling: How God Meets Us in Hiding
Written from Pastor Ben Graves’ Sermon Transcript
A few months ago, my two-year-old daughter got her first bee sting while we were in the backyard. She froze, stunned, with half the bee still sticking out of her tiny finger. I told her, “Honey, I need to pull this out or it’s only going to get worse.” She pulled her hand back in fear. It hurt, but leaving it there would have been worse.
That moment reminds me of what God often does with us. There are stingers—habits, fears, escapes, beliefs—that He wants to remove. It may hurt for a moment, but that pain is the pathway to healing.
Life Is Heavy, and Hiding Feels Easier
We’re constantly exposed to bad news. Five minutes on your phone can leave you convinced the world is burning down, yet real life feels normal: school pickups, dinners, work, kids, conversations. Still, the weight is there. Even blessings feel heavy.
You prayed for kids—now you’re exhausted at 2 a.m.
You prayed for a job—now you’re overwhelmed by expectations.
You prayed for opportunity—now it comes with pressure.
We tell ourselves things will get easier “once the next season comes,” but heaviness doesn’t magically disappear. And when life gets heavy, many of us don’t fight—we hide. Maybe it’s YouTube in the bathroom, staying late at work, scrolling endlessly, or retreating emotionally. It might not even be sinful, but it’s still escape.
When Escape TUrns Into a Cave
Judges 6 describes a painful season for God’s people:
“The Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.” (Judges 6:2)
The Midianites destroyed Israel’s crops year after year. After seven years of defeat, families retreated into caves for safety. What was meant to be temporary survival became a permanent way of life.
That’s what escape does today.
What started as “just to take the edge off”…
What started as “just this week”…
What started as “I just need a break”…
…can quickly become a cave.
And caves in 2025 are far easier to access:
The cave of pornography
The cave of substances
The cave of numbing entertainment
The cave of workaholism
The cave of emotional withdrawal
Every cave promises comfort, but over time it shapes your identity, your habits, your leadership, and your relationships. Caves make you feel safe, but they also make you small.
God Doesn’t Wait Outside the Cave—He Walks Into It
Scripture consistently shows this pattern:
David hides in a cave, and God meets him with loyal men and strength.
Elijah hides in a cave, and God meets him with His voice and rest.
Israel hides in caves, and God sends a deliverer.
God’s precedent is not: “Get your life together, then come to Me.” God’s precedent is: “I’ll meet you in the place you’ve been hiding.” Like the father of the prodigal son who runs toward his broken child, God comes running to you in the cave—not to shame you, but to call you forward.
“The Lord Is With You, Mighty Warrior”: Identity Comes First
Judges 6 introduces Gideon threshing wheat in a winepress—a cave-like hiding spot. It’s the wrong place to do the job, but fear put him there. He’d rather be doing the wrong thing in a cave, than the right thing, exposed.
Then God shows up and says:
“The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” (Judges 6:12)
Gideon is not acting like a mighty warrior. He doesn’t feel like a mighty warrior. He has no résumé that suggests he’s a mighty warrior. But God speaks to who Gideon is becoming, not who he’s been.
We live stuck in the present and the past. We define ourselves by mistakes and family history. But God stands outside of time. When He speaks identity over you, He’s speaking from your destiny, not your dysfunction.
James Clear’s book Atomic Habits illustrates this well. He says real change doesn’t begin with outcomes or processes—it begins with identity. In other words, it’s not “I’m trying to be free.” It’s “In Christ, I am free.” Identity shifts behavior more than behavior shifts identity.
God doesn’t remodel your life; He resurrects it. He makes you a son or daughter, then invites you to live from that identity. The moment you think you’ve outgrown being His child, you start to drift.
You + God Is Enough
Gideon’s first response is insecurity:
“My clan is the weakest… I am the least.” (Judges 6:15)
We do the same:
“My family is dysfunctional.”
“This is all I’ve known.”
“This is just who I am.”
God answers Gideon with one thing:
“I will be with you.” (Judges 6:16)
That’s the whole equation. We add complexity. God offers clarity: You + God = enough.
Before Public Victory, There Must Be Private Obedience
If I’m Gideon, I’m ready to grab a sword and go to war. But instead of giving him the best battle plan or war-strategy, God gives a surprising first instruction:
“Tear down your father’s altar to Baal.” (Judges 6:25)
Before God gives public breakthrough, He often addresses private idols.
The idol worship Israel was partaking in, worship to Baal, was against God’s instructions to only worship Him. Baal was a pagan god who represented productivity, prosperity, sexuality, and success—getting what you want from something other than God. Today, we may not bow to statues, but we sacrifice to other “gods”:
Porn
Comparison
Success
Image
Comfort
Control
Some of our caves have become our gods, our alters where we sacrifice what God has called us to for safety—and God calls us to tear them down.
Gideon had to dismantle his family’s altar, which means he was breaking generational patterns. Some of you will be the first in your family to walk free, lead spiritually, stay faithful, or confront hidden pain.
And when Gideon obeyed, God didn’t just barely help him win—He completely defeated the Midianites. Public victory followed private obedience.
Faithfulness in Hidden Places Leads to Freedom
Many of us want healing but avoid honesty. Scripture says:
“Confess your sins to God and you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to one another and you will be healed.” (James 5:16)
You can be forgiven and still live broken if you never bring your cave into the light. Healing often comes through confession, community, and courage—one conversation at a time.
If you keep talking, you’ll keep healing. Silence keeps you stuck.
Stepping Out of the Cave
This isn’t about trying harder. It’s about inviting God into the places you’ve kept hidden. He calls you son. He calls you daughter. His heart toward you is love, not wrath.
Your kids, your spouse, your future, and your calling need the whole and healthy version of you—a version only grace can create. With God, this isn’t a heavy burden; it’s a burden lifted.
You don’t have to stay in the cave anymore.
Reflection Questions
Where do you escape when life feels heavy?
Has your escape become a cave?
What private altar is God asking you to tear down?
Who is a safe person you can talk to so healing can begin?
Further Resources
Hiding in the Pews: Shining Light on Mental Illness in the Church by Steve Austin
Emotional Healing Through Scripture: A 40-Day Devotional to Experience Restoration, Recovery, and Peace by Nic M. Saluppo
“Six Trust Lessons from Gideon Judges 6-7” by Lloyd Stilley
