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1 Samuel 30:1-20
Message No. 0635 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca
I have watched unfortunate incidents on television, like a flood, with water entering people’s homes and destroying their properties (with furniture and electronics floating on water), or like fire burning down homes and lifelong investments completely, or like wind blowing away all of people’s homes and properties. I have also experienced, and known people who have experienced, the loss of loved ones, and the devastation that is felt right down the soul. When people who are affected are interviewed, one could not help but feel the sadness and helplessness that these incidents bring on lives. Even a heart of stone would be weighed down under these circumstances.
In 1 Samuel chapter 30, David and his men had just returned to their temporary home in Ziklag, only to discover that the Amalekites had raided the city and burned it to the ground and had taken captive men, women, young and old. David and his men arrived to the greatest shocker of their lives when they discovered that their wives and their children had all been taken captive. To say that this was not a joke would be, in itself, a joke. They were devastated and David broke down and wept with all of the strength that was left in him. In verse 6, the Bible says:
And 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 for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
When disasters of this size happen to people in the societies we live in, there is a standard way a few of them react: they take their own lives. They are unable to bear the pain, or the shame, and they have zero hope of salvaging the situations or anyone coming to their rescue. Unfortunately, rather than reach out for help, they reach out for death. Well, the people of this world do things differently than God’s children. In the above verse, the Bible says that after David had cried all of the crying he could, he faced the prospects of his soldiers stoning him, but he encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
As God’s children, we must always remember that our Savior exists and is watching over us. This world may bring occurrences that are heartbreaking and difficult to even understand across our ways. What the devil wants us to do is throw in the towel and condemn ourselves as helpless and hopeless. But helpless and hopeless is what we are not. Because the Bible says in Isaiah 59:19b, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” So when disaster or other undesirable things occur, we must know that our God already has a response in waiting. The way to tap into that response is to encourage ourselves in the Lord like David did, and only then will our eyes be opened to take the kind of decision that David took.
David pursued the enemies and recovered not only what was taken from his camp in Ziklag, but also a wealth of goods from the Amalekites. Your situation might not be exactly the same as David’s, but the outcome can be similar. The devil is a thief. He wants to steal, kill and destroy, but the Lord wants to give us life, and plenty of it. It is human to be sad when things we do not desire happen, but we must always find our ways back to God who it is that can point us to the way out. The devil wants to dampen your spirit. The best response is to say no, you can’t.
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PLEASE ACT NOW:
If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:
Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!
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