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Encourage Yourself....In the Lord
Life is hard and really hard for one who does not rely and trust in God.
Background: David and his army were a day’s journey from Ziklag where his family and his army’s families were. While David was away, the Amalekites had invaded Ziklag and taken the women and children captive, including David’s two wives. David and all that were with him were overcome with grief. It is said that they wept until they had no more power to weep
(1 Sa 30:4). David’s men were ready to stone him.
All hope is lost…. or was it? Why did David’s men want to stone him?
We are not told exactly why they were so angry with David, other than that they were grieved at the loss of their wives and children. Why is it when some men sin, that they look for someone other than themselves to blame?
Elders know this scenario all too well. There are times when elders try to confront out of duty Christians and are met with anger and defensive posturing. Some even attempt to blame the elders or others for their sins. The most common tactic is to try to shine the light somewhere else besides themselves. Such attempts are a sign of spiritual immaturity. The problem is that some have lost their ability to take personal ownership for their sins and/or problems. They look for others to take on their responsibility….to relieve them of their guilt or grief.
Listen to what David did when tragedy struck him personally…. when his own people turned against him and even wanted to kill him.
1Sa 30:6 “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”
David did what his men didn’t do, he turned to God immediately!
1Sa 30:8 “And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.”
1Sa 30:17 “And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.”
1Sa 30:18 “And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.”
1Sa 30:19 “And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.”
As Paul Harvey was famous for saying: “And now you know the rest of the story…”
God did not let David down; nor will He let down you and I.
Encourage yourself in the Lord!
- John Smith
