"But David found strength in the LORD his God" (1 Samuel 30:6).
Yesterday we visited some friends in Indianapolis and I had the opportunity to share the Word of God with the congregation at Victory Christian Center. Prior to the service I met with Pastor Floyd for prayer and noticed his large sword and shield. He explained that he keeps these in his office to remind him of the strength and encouragement we have in the Lord as we apply the armor of God listed in Ephesians 6. When Floyd faces discouragement (as do all pastors), these are visual reminders of God's armor that gives him renewed strength as he does battle with the enemy.
In 1 Samuel 30 King David and his men were away at battle. While they were gone their foes came in and laid the city of Ziklag in ashes, carrying away their wives and children. When the men returned they were overwhelmed with grief. The Scripture says they "wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep." It isn't hard to visualize the deep despair these warriors must have felt.
They also blamed David and were ready to stone him. In addition to the sorrow he felt from his own personal loss, now he faced his own men who wanted to strike him down, and this distressed him greatly. The circumstances couldn't get any worse! "But David found strength in the Lord his God" (v. 6) and sought direction from Him. I've always enjoyed this brief verse and find it applicable for all believers when facing distressing circumstances. It's a short verse to memorize and I believe, when we're weak in spirit, we do well to quote this verse prayerfully using our name in place of David's such as, "But Stephen found strength in the Lord his God."
The small conjunction word, "but" turns our focus from the very troubling circumstances David faced and redirects our attention to the Lord our God. I wonder what prompted this renewed strength to act decisively as the Lord led David in the remainder of the chapter. Was it a Scripture verse hidden deep in his heart? Was he reviewing in his mind previous experiences where God brought about miraculous deliverances from the enemy?
Like David we will inevitably encounter hard periods in life and will need renewed strength in the Lord our God. Let me suggest several means of finding this strength and encouragement:
1) Meditate on Bible passages and memorize key Scriptures that the Holy Spirit can bring to our recollection in time of need.
2) Make a lifelong goal of developing a network of prayer warriors and encouragers whom you may call upon during your time of need.
3) Like Floyd you may find certain visual reminders helpful. (When I go to my workshop I receive strength when I use my dad's tools.)
4) Inspirational music can be a very helpful source of strength.
5) Build a library of useful resources that reinforce Biblical answers for life's dilemmas.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. In ourselves we are weak and often distressed by the daunting trials of life. When they become our primary focus we are easily overtaken by doubt and helplessness. But when our primary focus is on worshiping the Lord Jesus who is our Provider, our Strength, our Sustainer, our Hope and our Soon Coming King our mourning turns into joy, our weakness into strength, and our hope is once again renewed. Thank You for who You are and the way You work in our lives this day. Amen.
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