En-Gedi (God our Refuge)

Graphic from: https://www.touristisrael.com/ein-gedi-nature-reserve/5529/  (All I had was a video of this area) 
 “En-Gedi” means “spring of the goat” or “spring of the kid.” It gets this name from the fresh water spring located there and from the many wild goats which live in the area. This place with a fresh water spring and waterfalls is literally an oasis in the desert. It is only a few miles down the road from Masada. This area is mostly a dry, barren desert. But En Gedi was well watered and green. Such a contrast. You can see why both animals and people would seek this area out.

1 Samuel 24:1 (NIV)  After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” In this area, David and his men hid from Saul in a cave where David spared Saul’s life. (See the picture below of caves above En-Gedi)

I would encourage you to read Second Samuel 22 and Psalm 18 where David sings a song of praise to God for delivering him from Saul and in verse 2 calls God his rock, stronghold, and deliverer. Interestingly, the Hebrew word translated “stronghold” is מְּצוּדָה (metsudah), which is the same word used to describe En-Gedi in 1 Sam 24:22
 Christian Locatell, “En-Gedi,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

David was probably in the area of En Gedi when he wrote these songs of prayer and praise.

God is our fortress, our rock, and our place of deliverance. Remember to praise Him and thank Him even when you feel oppressed or when you are afraid. He wants us to seek Him as our refuge. He is our stronghold in life when we feel weak. Even when we want to hide from what life is throwing at us, we can praise Him as David did.

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