“So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats” (1 Samuel 24:2 NLT)

David and his six hundred men hid in the caves of En Gedi while Saul’s troops searched for him. This was a difficult wilderness experience for David, but an important and formative season for him as well. He wrote many of his psalms during this time. He learned to lead his men and himself through difficulty by depending on the Lord. He experienced trial, hunger and suffering, yet God provided for him and his followers. This trial also revealed David’s heart of integrity, as he refused to murder the Lord’s anointed, Saul, when he found him vulnerable in a cave. David’s days in the caves of En Gedi prepared him for his days on the throne in Jerusalem.