Finding Strength in the Lord

Click here for the audio message of 1 Samuel 30:3-10

Last time we saw David ready to kill not only this guy Nabal who insulted him, but all of his male servants as well. This was over nothing more than some offensive behavior. Thankfully, Nabal’s wife intercedes and stops the killing spree.

If you remember before that David had the opportunity to kill Saul, the person who was after his life. But David could only cut off a piece of Saul’s robe before his conscience got to him.

Right after this episode with Nabal, David again has the opportunity to kill Saul. This time however, David doesn’t listen to his friends. He simply takes Saul’s spear and his water jug while he is asleep.

David leaves and is given a small town to live in. More troops join David and they raid and destroy many cities. Saul comes to the complete realization that he will die and David will be king of Israel.

Of course the battle is not over though. When David returns to his home, he finds that it has been raided and burned to the ground. All of David's and his men’s possessions, their wives, their children, their livestock is gone.

All is lost. It’s hopeless. These men that have trusted David now return home to nothing. Everything they had is gone. The mood is very sad and depressed. No doubt, much of us would feel the same way if it happened to us.

David’s men become very angry at David for allowing this to happen. In fact, they become so angry that they want to stone David to death. Somehow, David manages to calm them down and seek God’s will.

David asks God point blank, “Should I go after these people?” and “Will I catch them?” God answers David in the affirmative. “Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you.”

What a wonderful feeling that would have been. David returns to his men and tells them the good news and they are ready to fight for what is theirs. They come to a river that is difficult to cross so 200 men stay behind with some of the heavier baggage.

The other 400 men cross the river and slaughter the Amalekites from evening to evening. The men return victorious. They are shouting for joy because they have defeated the enemy and got all of their stuff back unharmed, including their wives, children, and animals.

But when the 400 men meet up with the 200 men that stayed behind with the baggage, they didn’t want to share in the spoils of war. David immediately steps in and says everyone had a part to play in this battle and everyone will share the spoils of war.

The emotional state of these people is amazing to me through this situation. First, they are really sad and depressed about losing everything they own. Then they are furious at David for allowing this to happen. So mad, in fact, that they want to kill him.

Then they listen to David and trust him again to go to war against the enemy. When they are victorious they are so happy. But then when they return home, they don’t want to share the loot. They let their greed take over.

Think about some past situations that you have experienced. Maybe you have felt similar emotions. Maybe you got mad. Maybe you wanted revenge. Maybe you were greedy. It happens. It is human nature.

The key to the lesson is David’s response. Sure, no doubt he felt similar sadness and anger at his lose. But he turned to God and asked God to show him the way. He came home to nothing, but he knew that God is always there and that is what makes him a man after God’s heart.

He found his strength in God during this time of distress. He didn’t give up. He didn’t run from God. He went right to God and asked him what to do. What a wonderful lesson for all of us to learn.

David sought God’s guidance. He trusted God with his life. He had a relationship with God. That is what God wants from all of us.

In verse 23, David says God “has protected us and handed over to us the forces that came against us.” I would bet that there were a few of David’s men that mumbled to themselves something like, “well yeah, that is true, but why did God allow the enemy to overtake our homes and families in the first place.”

You know, that is a question that many of us dwell on too often as well. We try to figure out why God would allow this type of thing to happen to me. Why was my child killed. Why did I get cancer. Why did I lose my job and have my house foreclosed on. Why did my spouse cheat on me. Why did God allow these things to happen to me.

The answer is simply we don’t know and we may never know during this lifetime why certain “bad” things happen to us. We simply need to trust in God’s love, His grace, and His mercy for us. God has a plan and He will use us to accomplish that plan.

More often than not, when bad things happen to us, there is a lesson for us to learn from the experience. It is a time to prove our faith to ourselves. Or to show where our faith is lacking.

Being a Christian doesn’t mean all of our earthly problems are going to go away. It simply means that when these problems arise we can take them to the One who will see us through them. Life isn’t always easy, but we must be faithful to God.

I would imagine each and every one of you out their today is facing some type of difficult or challenging situation right now. It may be health related. It may be family related. Or it may simply be dealing with the fact that you are aging and have trouble doing the things you used to do.

I am here to tell you though that whatever it is, there is hope. David knew that and he went to God to see him through the situation. We too should do the same.

Closing prayer

Lord of strength and hope, help us through whatever situations arise in our lives. Guide us with your grace and your mercy. Help us to always be faithful to you and bring you glory, honor, and praise from our actions.

AMEN.