Daily Devotional

-April 20, 2021-

Good morning, happy Tuesday,

-When Everything Goes Wrong, Trust The Lord-

“Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”

(1 Samuel 30:6).

What happens when everything goes wrong and everyone is against us? What do we do? Whom do we turn to? David faced this situation in 1 Samuel chapter 30. David and his mighty men returned to Ziklag, the city they were living in, to find it burned to the ground. Their wives and children were gone. 1 Samuel 30:4 records the reaction of David and his men, “Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had had no more power to weep.” Have you ever wept until there were no more tears to shed? I have.

The enemy Amalekites were the perpetrators. Amalek is a type of our sinful flesh that attacks us at the most inopportune times. The saving grace in this story is they did not kill any of the women and children. This did not stop David’s men turning against him, blaming him for what happened. Their grief soon turned to anger and the people spoke of stoning him. Keep in mind that these mighty men were so loyal to David, yet even they under great sorrow and stress, turned against him. They let their circumstances dictate their decisions.

David did not panic, disband his fighters, or flee, instead he sought the Lord and prayed. Our text says, “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” David loved the Lord and knew that comfort, encouragement, strength, and help comes from the Lord and from him alone. Psalm 50:15 says, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” This is exactly what happened. It is a wonderful verse to memorize.

When David prayed for the Lord’s guidance, the Lord directed him to pursue the Amalekites and assured him of victory. 1 Samuel 30:8 says, “So David inquired of the Lord, saying, ‘Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?’ And He answered him, ‘Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.’”

Off David and four hundred of his men went and God have them a complete victory. 1 Samuel 30:18 records, “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 anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all.” What an answer to prayer! What a complete victory! Not only did they recover every wife and child, they also gained so much spoils that David sent much to his friends in the land of Judah who supported him. God turned their sorrow into joy, defeat into victory, and loss into gain!

David had one more issue to deal with. Some of the four hundred men did not want to share the spoils they gained with the two hundred men who were two exhausted to pursue the Amaelikites. David in his wisdom and tact handled this situation by giving those men the same as the ones that fought. He established it this as a perpetual principle in Israel from this point onward.

This story would make a great movie. It has drama, tragedy, fighting, and victory. God specializes in happy endings too! Now about us? When God turns around our circumstances and gives us the victory, we should thank Him and glorify His name. No one is immune from troubles, trials, and testings. The key is how we handle them: do we fall on our knees and seek the Lord or do we fall apart and try to solve things on our own which never works? Faith is the victory that overcomes the world!

Have a blessed day and when everything and everyone seems against us, let us remember God is for us. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean