Ziklag
When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. ~1 Sam 30:3-6
This situation calls... for a determination that is far from airy-fairy. This took real guts. In the smoking ruins of Ziklag, in the face of the loss of his family and facing the lynch mob of those who blamed him for their own loss, and yes, surely feeling the responsibility for it all himself, what David does next is staggering.
"David strengthened himself in the LORD his God." (v6, ESV)
Some versions say that he 'found strength in God'. I find this wording a little unhelpful, as it has the feel of someone saying to you 'your faith must be a real comfort to you'. No. That is not what was going on here. The KJV puts it, "David encouraged himself in the Lord"
There is no passivity here, and nor should there be for us. I've been low and I have experienced despair and lack of hope, as I am sure most of us have, and the last thing I want to do, in those situations, is to encourage myself. I want some-one else to come and comfort ME. I want God to come and shake the earth to show his love for me, to wave his hand over me and make it all go away.
But we all know, it doesn't really work like that. God, in his wisdom, has given us a choice; Mope in the ashes, or rise on eagle wings. Stay in Ziklag and get stoned, or mount your horse and go and get what belongs to you.
Listen, his divine power has given us everything we need for life and Godliness. But we have to take hold of those resources. The strength is not in us, it is in God, but we have to find it. WE have to stir OUR souls. WE have to lay hold, in faith, of Gods unshakable character. WE have to trust beyond our circumstances and believe beyond sight. King David says elsewhere "Why so downcast, oh my soul" and I will YET praise you". "I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living"
So once, like David, you have cried yourself dry, stir your soul. Take strength in God. He has not bought you out of Egypt to die in the desert. There is a land, flowing with milk and honey, and he has given it to us already, for the taking.
Some versions say that he 'found strength in God'. I find this wording a little unhelpful, as it has the feel of someone saying to you 'your faith must be a real comfort to you'. No. That is not what was going on here. The KJV puts it, "David encouraged himself in the Lord"
There is no passivity here, and nor should there be for us. I've been low and I have experienced despair and lack of hope, as I am sure most of us have, and the last thing I want to do, in those situations, is to encourage myself. I want some-one else to come and comfort ME. I want God to come and shake the earth to show his love for me, to wave his hand over me and make it all go away.
But we all know, it doesn't really work like that. God, in his wisdom, has given us a choice; Mope in the ashes, or rise on eagle wings. Stay in Ziklag and get stoned, or mount your horse and go and get what belongs to you.
Listen, his divine power has given us everything we need for life and Godliness. But we have to take hold of those resources. The strength is not in us, it is in God, but we have to find it. WE have to stir OUR souls. WE have to lay hold, in faith, of Gods unshakable character. WE have to trust beyond our circumstances and believe beyond sight. King David says elsewhere "Why so downcast, oh my soul" and I will YET praise you". "I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living"
So once, like David, you have cried yourself dry, stir your soul. Take strength in God. He has not bought you out of Egypt to die in the desert. There is a land, flowing with milk and honey, and he has given it to us already, for the taking.
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