“David was greatly distressed… But David found strength in the Lord his God.” (1 Samuel 30:6 NIV)
“But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” (1 Samuel 30:6 KJV)
Why was David greatly distressed?
Scripture lays it out clearly: his men were ready to stone him. They had become bitter because of what was happening to their families.
When we forget to stay connected to God, we lose our strength. Bitterness blows in and settles in our bones. We consider courses of action that we could not previously have imagined. But David had learned how to lean in to the Lord before bitterness had a chance to grab hold of his soul. David’s decision to strengthen himself in the Lord amidst hardship produced a God-outcome for his men and their families.
“David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.”” (1 Samuel 30:18-20 NIV)
We are in hard times, friends. And truth be told, they may get harder. But we are in this together and we can guard against bitterness by strengthening ourselves in the Lord.
We know what David did to strengthen himself, at least in part, because the Bible serves as a record. He went to the priest for wisdom and direction. He wrote poems and sang psalms. He sought the Lord in prayer. He laid out his feelings before the Father. He committed to obedience no matter how challenging the circumstances became.
What are you doing today to encourage yourself in the Lord? Will you post a comment, a song or a prayer? Let’s make this a thread of Christ-centered encouragement today.