In Times Of Trouble, Where Does Your Strength Come From?

Day 79:  Exodus 29, Psalm 79 & 1 Samuel 30

Have you ever felt like you were being attacked but hadn't done anything wrong?  Perhaps your friends turned on you.  Your family was upset with you.  Your coworkers blamed something on you.  Have you ever done the right thing - or maybe just didn't do a wrong thing - and you still got harassed for it?  That was the situation for David in 1 Samuel 30 from today's reading.

David and his followers were living in Ziklag of the Philistines and he had gathered his fighting men to go to war with Israel along side the Philistines (though I believe he would have betrayed the Philistines and fought with Israel instead of against) but the Philistines would not let them fight along side and sent them all back to Ziklag.

When they arrived they discovered that the Amalekites had come while they were all away and had raided parts of Judah and Philistia and burned Ziklag to the ground taking all of the women and children and spoil.

As you can imagine the fighting men with David were completely distraught when they returned home to find it destroyed and everything they loved and owned gone.  While they were mourning they began to grumble against David as though it was his fault that the Amalekites had attacked.  In fact, they began to discuss stoning David to death they were so upset.

What would you do in a situation like that?  I think I know what I would have done.  I would have gotten up and reminded everyone who was in charge and that it wasn't my fault and then began to determine what to do next.  I would have put the blame where it really rested - on the Amalekites and not me.

But that is not what David does.  Verse 6 says, "David strengthened himself in the Lord his God."

David didn't point the blame somewhere else.  He didn't start making plans for revenge.  He didn't get mad that his men were plotting against him.  He sought strength from the Lord.  I'm not sure how he did that.  Perhaps he prayed.  Penned some Psalms.  Read from the Torah (Genesis-Duoteronomy).  However he did it the take-away is that he went to God for strength first.

After that he called the priest and inquired of the Lord as to whether they should pursue the Amalekites, which they did.  He then showed kindness to a slave that had been left for dead by his Amalekite master.  The slave then led David and his men right to their camp, which they promptly destroyed and took back all the spoil that the Amalekites had taken and then some; everything was returned.

I find that when I am struggling I often try to make a plan or seek counsel from others, but the lesson of David here is that we should first find strength in the Lord our God.  Once we have found the strength to continue we can inquire of Him what steps to take next and then walk in His ways.  But we should seek to spend time with Him first.

There is a popular Christian song out now and one of the lines is, "remind me who I am..."  I think that is what David sought from God when he strengthened himself in the Lord.  Remind me Lord who I am to you:  the King of Israel whom You anointed, a loved son, a man of strength and honor in You.

The next time you feel oppressed or attacked follow the example of David, a man after God's own heart, and strengthen yourself in the Lord your God before moving forward with any plan.  Seek first His kingdom and righteousness (not your own) and He will direct your paths, just like He did with David.