“…it greatly distressed David, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, each one for his sons and for his daughters.” (1 Sam 30:6) We all need encouragement from time to time. All of us at some time face a crisis when everything seems to fall apart. This may be a source of discouragement for us, when things go wrong even when we are TRYING TO DO RIGHT. At such times, people may even say, “THAT’S WHAT YOU GET FOR TRYING TO DO RIGHT.” There are moments of uncertainty, when don’t know how things are going to turn out. There are periods of stress, when our load seems heavier than we can bear. The task is more than we can handle. There can also be times of fear when our very sense of security is challenged. In all of those kinds of situations we need to be ENCOURAGED IN THE LORD. “But David ENCOURAGED HIMSELF in the LORD his God.” (1 Sam. 30:6)
When it says, David “STRENGTHENED HIMSELF” the Hebrew verb implies persistent and continuous effort. There is nothing passive about seeking out the Lord in times of despair. Sometimes we almost have to grab ourselves by the labels and GIVE OURSELVES A STERN TALKING TO as the Psalmist does; “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? HOPE IN GOD; For I SHALL YET PRAISE HIM, The help of my countenance and my God.” (Psa. 43:5) David and his company of six hundred men had been serving in the military of King Achish of Gath and in the process had left their wives and children in Ziklag unprotected. A raiding band of Amalekites the longtime enemies of Israel, came down on the village, capturing the women and children for slaves, looting the place and carried of everything of value, leaving behind nothing but a smoking pile of rubble.
David deliberately stopped TO ASK THE LORD if he should pursue this band of raiders and try to recover what had been taken. In verse eight he received clear instructions from the Lord, THE LORD SAID,“Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail RECOVER ALL.” (1 Sam. 30:8) God told David that he would recover everything they had lost and David took God at His word. From that point on David could look back and boast in the Lord, “In the day that I cried out, You answered me, And MADE ME BOLD with STRENGTH IN MY SOUL.” (Psa. 138:3)
In David’s newfound strength he found the enemy, “Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. So David RECOVERED ALL that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; DAVID RECOVERED ALL.” (1 Sam. 30:17-19) One very important lesson we learn from the Lord, He says to us: “Call to Me, and I WILL ANSWER YOU, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jer. 33:3)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham