1 Samuel 30:6 “…But David found strength in the Lord.”
The other day I was reading a devotional on “Joy.” To be honest, I wasn’t feelin’ it. My bucket load of concerns had left me depleted, unable to see the world in anything but gray, ashen hues. My mood positioned me as an open target for Satan’s arrows. “You can’t win this battle,” So Zing! “You’re done,” Zing! “Truth doesn’t matter anymore,” Zing!
I wonder if that’s how David felt in the situation described in 1 Samuel 30. He had led his 600 men into battle, only to return home and find their city burned to the ground, their wives and children taken captive by the Amalekites. In the face of such devastation, they “wept until they had no strength left to weep” (v. 4). The bitterness toward David for getting them into the mess ran so strong, the men talked about stoning him. So what did David do?
He found strength in the Lord (v. 6). He refused to give up or give in to the circumstances. Instead, he sought the Lord’s guidance. Consequently, he and his men pursued the Amalekites, routed them, and recovered their wives, children and all the plunder. “Nothing was missing” (v. 19). Quite the turn of events.
Events turned because of where David turned. As overwhelming as the situation was, David didn’t linger in its shadow any longer than he did in Goliath’s. He never forgot the source of his strength. Neither must we.
It seems today we’re facing forces C.S. Lewis described in the final book of his Space Trilogy: That Hideous Strength. We shouldn’t be surprised. As Lewis writes, we’re living in enemy-occupied territory. God has called us here at this place, in this time to sabotage Satan’s plans. A call which I’m sure doesn’t include allowing ourselves to be target practice for the devil’s lethal lies. His strength may be hideous, treacherous and overpowering. But it is no match for the strength we find in the Lord.
Don’t be deceived, friend. And don’t delay. Put up your shield of faith and let the Holy Spirit help you deflect all those fiery darts. After all, it’s our weaknesses that lead us to strength. His strength. His perfect strength (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Zing, Zing and Zing!