Introduction:
We are living in the very discouraging times and situations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. About 3,00,000 people in the world are infected with COVID-19, and 200,00 have died due to the virus infection. The economy has stalled, everything is closed, people have lost jobs, we lost income and we are locked down in our homes. Churches are closed for worship. There is no cure or vaccine available for COVID-19. Many of us are also affected in many ways by the virus. We see that fear of unknown has gripped the people of the world. People are afraid of death and uncertain future.
Even as Christians we have some questions on our minds. Why this is happening in the world? Is it God’s will? When this outbreak will end? Such questions can test our faith in God. Fortunately, as Christians, we have answers to these questions. Bible is God’s Word and we find answers to all our questions.
Form the scripture passage (I Samuel 30:1-20), we will learn the secret of finding encouragement in the most discouraging times. David, man after God’s own heart, lost everything in the battle but he encouraged himself in the Lord in the most difficult circumstances. As a result, David recovered all that he and his men had lost and even more than what they had lost. We are going to focus a few points today, that will help us to get encouraged during these trying times.
1. Background of the Disaster:
In I Samuel 27, we read that David with his 600 men fled from Saul and hid in the enemy territory of Palestinians. He thought that he will be safe in Palestinian territory from King Saul. They joined hands with the king of Gath, Achish and settled in a place called Ziklag. David and his army fought and won battles against the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites and looted their belongings and brought to Achish. David gained trust of king Achish and the king wanted David to made his servant.
Life felt much better now for David and his men for one year and four months. They were enjoying safety from Saul and victory after victory. In Chapter 28 Achish wanted David and his men to join the war against Israel, but the Philistines didn’t want David to join them. Achish sent David and his men back to Ziklag.
2. Disaster that was not foreseen:
In chapter 30, we see that a disaster struck to David and his team. They had left behind their families in Ziklag, while they were winning battles and feeling proud of their success. But they had never imagined the disaster had struck them. The Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.
We learn that life is uncertain, we may be enjoying success and victories but immediately we face difficult situations. We never see the disaster coming. David never imagined that success and failure both were happening at a same time. Life can throw challenges we are not prepared for.
Result: The shouts of victory turned in to sobs of sorrow. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep (verse 4). Remember, they were very strong warrior men. But when they returned, their homes were burned down, their families were taken captives.
Let me tell you that it is okay to express our feelings. Crying relieves the pain in heart. God has made us in His image. So God’s qualities of anger, grief, sorrow, love and joy all are given to us. God understands when we are hurting. When we feel sad, when we feel discouraged, we can be honest in expressing our feelings. It is okay to be honest in expressing our feelings before God. King David often asked questions to God, argued with God, challenged God why did God allow certain situations in his life.
Psalm 22:1: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?
Psalm 74:1- O God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?
Even though David expressed his anger and anguish before God, He didn’t change His status of David, whom God considered a man after His own heart.
The pain was such intense that they cried until they had no energy to cry.
Verse 6a: David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters.
David had his own men turned against him and they were talking of stoning him. Was David responsible for the tragedy? No. it is human nature that we want to blame someone for our situations. Worst, the very people we depend upon blame you and turn against you for no fault of yours. That is very painful. David also had his wives captured by Amalikites.
3. David encouraged himself in the Lord:
Verse 6b: But David found strength in the Lord his God (NIV)
But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God (RSV)
This is the most important point. When the world around us comes crumbling down, where do we turn for encouragement? David couldn’t turn to his men for encouragement as they had turned against him. At times we can’t turn to anybody for encouragement. Our spouses will not be able to encourage us, our children, our family members, our friends and church pastor or members will not be able to encourage us. The only person who can encourage is you and the Lord.
David decided that it was enough with grief and sadness. He encouraged himself in the Lord. A time must come when we must stop mourning and feeling despair and turn to the Lord for encouragement. If we continue to dwell on the disaster/ storm, we will never be able to strengthen ourselves.
How David was able to find strength and encouragement in the most difficult time? We will quickly see five things by which we can be strengthened amidst discouragement.
a. Remember God’s faithfulness in the past:
When David stopped feeling sorry, he must have remembered the past victories against the enemies. As a young boy he had killed Goliath. Once he killed a lion and bear.
I Samuel 17:6- Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.
b. Focus on who our God is:
Our God is almighty, Omnipotent, Omniscient. He is Jehovah- Shalom, Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah-Rapha, Jehovah- Shammah. God is faithful in keeping His promises.
c. Praise and worship the Lord:
David was a man of praise and worship. He was able to praise in midst of difficult times. He wrote Psalm 34 when he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away. Still he said in Psalm 34:1- I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
When he fled from Saul, in the cave, he sang a song of praise in Psalm 57:7- My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!
d. Talk to yourself to Put hope in God:
Psalms 42:5, 11 and Psalm 43:5- Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
This stanza is repeated 3 times in two chapters, some believe was one song composed by David
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help 6 and my God.
e. Seek God’s Face and Guidance in Prayer:
David must have spent time in God’s presence and prayed. Psalm 18:6- In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
Here in verses 7 and 8, David said to Abi'athar the priest, the son of Ahim'elech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abi'athar brought the ephod to David. 8 And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue; for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.”
Ephod was a robe or dress that the priests and high priest wore while performing their spiritual duties. David put on ephod and went in prayer. He also asked for the Lord’s guidance on next steps.
The result of the prayer was a promise from the Lord, “pursue Amalekites, surely you will overtake them and shall surely recover what you have lost.
4. David Recovered All that was lost and More:
After David encouraged himself in the Lord, David and his 600 men left out to attack Amalekites and rescue their families (verses 9-20). The Lord granted them help from an Egyptian slave and they found the group of men who had attacked Ziklag and captured their families.
The Amalekites were careless and partying to celebrate their victory and loot. David beat them for nearly 36 hours and killed most of the enemies, except for 400 men who escaped on camels.
Verses 18- 20: David recovered all that the Amal'ekites had taken; and David rescued his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken; David brought back all. 20 David also captured all the flocks and herds; and the people drove those cattle before him,[b] and said, “This is David’s spoil.”
Not only David recovered everything that was lost and taken away by the enemy but also took spoil or loot from the Amalekites, because they left their cattle and animals and fled for their lives. He was able to share his loot with his friends and associates.
This is what happens when we find our encouragement in the Lord during discouraging times. God will not only give us back what we lost but He gives us more blessings. Just like Job, after he was vindicated by the Lord, he got double portion of what he had lost.
This pandemic has taken our many things and we may be discouraged but when it will be over, God will give us back the most precious things we lost and even more. Let us not be discouraged but wait upon the Lord patiently to overcome the negative circumstances.
Conclusion:
As we prepare to partake in the Holy Communion, shall we turn to God for hope and encouragement in the discouraging times?
Remember who our God is and put your hope in the Lord.
