This season of COVID -19 has caused a lot of stress in all aspects of life. Many people’s emotional status is messed up. So much fear, hopelessness and discouragement are looming around. So this sermon is meant to encourage believers that no matter how terrible your situation, hope will arise, because God hasn't lost His power.
SCRIPTURE: 1 Samuel 30:1-6
“And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; 2And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. 3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. 4Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6And 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”. (1Sam30:1-6)
A.David and his men arrived on the third day. The third day represents the hour of deliverance-Jesus rose from the dead after 3 days, Jonah came out from the belly of the fish after 3 days, and Esther got favour with the King after 3 days of fasting.
Lesson: Most times, the enemy hits when you are about to breakthrough, to cause you to give up or to kill you. In Chapter 29, David was going to fight with the Philistines against Israel, then in 30 Ziklag was attacked and in 31 Saul got wounded and took his own life in the same battle David was to fight. It was David’s season of victory. His enemy King Saul died but another situation arose where his men turned against him and wanted to stone him. The enemy knew David would be a great King, and wanted to hinder him from reaching his destiny.
He (the enemy) can also bring discouragement after a major breakthrough like in Elijah’s case. (1kings 19:3-4) says “Elijah was afraid for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord, he said. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors”.
Elijah felt like a failure because his expectation of Israel turning to God even Jezebel didn’t happen after a great victory over the prophets of Baal. It seemed like the hope, purpose and struggle of his whole life would be ending in failure.
B.They attacked and burnt Ziklag-What you have been through feels like you have been through a furnace (Ps 66:10-12, Isaiah 48:9-11). But bless the Lord for that fire. The purpose of the fire is to refine you like to be like pure gold. Jesus said when you go through fire, it won’t burn you. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out clean because Jesus was in the fire.
It may look like you have been reduced to ashes, but the Lord will give you a crown of beauty instead of ashes (Isaiah 61:3a). People will look for the ashes but all they will see will be the beauty of the Lord upon you.
C.They took captive the women, and all who were in it, both young and old but they did not kill any of them. Do you know why they didn’t kill them? They had Abigail among the captives. A woman with good judgment, intelligence and prayerful. With God no experience is wasted. Abigail in 1 Samuel chapter 25 was used by God to stop David from destroying her household. I believe with the grace of God upon her life, she managed to convince the Amalekites to spare the captives. Even before the Amalekites attacked, she must have encouraged the other women to intercede for their husbands who had gone to war and for their children. Their safety was no coincidence.
Your prayers are not in vain. They provide covering for your life, family and others. The lock down provided us with time to pray and the prayers you have been making will avail much and carry you through the trouble times.
Don’t give up praying for your families and communities, your prayers attract God’s protection over you in the day of trouble.
D.Your situation has made you cry until you can cry no more
“So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep”. (I Sam 30:3-4)
Tears are prayers too. Hagar and her son Ishmael cried and God heard and an angel was sent to encourage her and God showed her water (Gen 21:16-19). Hannah too cried and God answered her prayer and to Hezekiah, he said “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears” (2 Kings 20:5). The Lord will wipe away those tears. He will show you compassion. He will turn your sorrow into joy “Weeping endures a night but joy comes in the morning”.
There may be somebody here today
• You have lost your job/or your loved one has lost a job
• Your husband/wife has left you or been taken by another person
• Your child has run away from home
• Life has been so tough-no money,
• Your business has collapsed
• You have been disappointed by friends, family members, workmates
• Your prayers have taken long without answers
• You are in a situation where people have ganged up against you and want you out or dead
I hear the Lord say to you, “Do not be discouraged for I am with you. You will rise again. You will recover all you have lost. For nothing is lost, I have preserved it for you. Your prayers provided a covering for your family, dreams and possession. I the Lord your God will fight for you and will recover it all. But like David you have to rise above your discouragement”.
1Sam 30:6 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”.
HOW DID HE ENCOURAGE HIMSELF?
1. He turned to God in prayer (He enquired of the Lord -1 Sam 30: 8). When I am low in spirit I like to pray and every time I do, I get strengthened. David was a man of prayer as seen in the book of Psalms. He knew how to express his feelings before God.
2. He made declarations of who God was to Him and God’s ability to protect him from his enemies. He told the problems he was faced with how big his God was. Ps 27 is a good example.
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. 5For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. (Ps 27:1-6)
Job also did the same in chapter 19:25 .After narrating how badly people were treating him because of what he was going through, he declared “I know that my redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand upon the earth and after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God”.
David added, “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. PS 27:13-14.
3. He sung to the Lord. David was a musician. When Saul was tormented by an evil spirit, they called for David to sing and the spirit left Saul (1 Sam16:14-23, 2 Sam 22). We can all testify that some songs are anointed and can release the power of God to change situations. Gospel Artist Travis Green testified that the song “You Made a Way” was written when his wife’s water broke at just 21 weeks of pregnancy and the Doctors said the child’s chances of survival were very slim. He said picking encouragement from the story of the Israelites before the Red sea, he started to write down the words, “You (God) made a way” and he began to sing it. He declared you move mountains, you cause walls to fall, with your power you perform miracles, and we are standing here only because you made a way.” In fact in the song he declared, my son is breathing, and His son survived and today many people are blessed by that song.
Remember when Words fail, sing and if you can’t sing, listening to uplifting gospel music. Dance if you can and discouragement will flee.
5. David encouraged himself with the past victories (Ps 34: 1-3). When he was faced by Goliath, he remembered how, God had helped him tear the lion and the bear that had come after the sheep he was taking care of (1 Sam 17:34-36). Now that were other enemies, he must have reminded himself how God had delivered Goliath to him with a sling of a stone. You do well remind yourself of the good things God has done for you or for others. The prayers He has answered. Thank Him for those things. You can also get encouragement from other people’s testimonies. The bible is full of the great things God did for people and he is no respecter of persons. He will do it for you too.
6. David had priests around him. He surrounded himself with people who knew God. (1 Sam 30:7). Having spiritual leaders you can run to in time of trouble is very important. Some people die not because they don’t have people who love them but because they don’t talk to anybody. Every problem has a solution and someone who has seen worse than you. Don Moen wrote a song entitled, “God will make away”. However he says, prior to the writing of the song, his mother-in-law had called him informing him that his wife’s sister and her family had been involved in a bad motor accident and their eldest son (who was 9 years) had died instantly. Don said he had no words to encourage them, but while he was on the plane, Isaiah 43: 19 “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland”. He says he sang that song for that couple and they were encouraged. You will always need somebody to lean on.
David also attacked his enemies. Don’t just cry and cry. Rise up in the power and authority Jesus has given you and go after what is yours. The Lord told David; pursue them, you will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue” (1Sam 30:8b). Some situations call for spiritual warfare and you will need to take up your position against the enemy whose mission is to kill, steal and destroy. You can do something about your situation. Imagine what would have happened if David and his men had sat back and not gone to rescue their wives and children? You can do something about your situation and with God’s blessing you will succeed.
Everything that David did to encourage himself is possible and doable. In fact you can do so much more like attending church fellowships, reading good books and listening to inspirational speaker.
CONCLUSION
I want to conclude with this testimony of Mr. Horatio Spafford the writer of the lyrics of “It is well with my soul”, to encourage those who feel like all is lost. Remember in life there is always somebody in a worse situation than you. Don’t despair there is hope.
Horatio Spafford was a successful lawyer and real estate investor who lost a fortune in the great fire of Chicago fire of 1871. Around the same time his beloved four year old son died of scarlet fever.
Thinking a vacation would do his family some good, he sent his wife and four daughters on a ship to England, planning to join them after he finished some pressing business at home. However, while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship was involved in a terrible collision and sunk. More than 200 people lost their lives including all four of Horatio Spafford’s precious daughters. His wife Anna survived the tragedy. Upon arriving in England, she sent a telegram to her husband that began: “Saved alone. What shall I do?”
Horatio immediately set sail for England. At one point during his voyage, the captain of the ship aware of the tragedy that had struck the Spafford family, summoned Horatio to tell him that they were now passing over the spot where the shipwreck had occurred.
As Horatio thought about his daughters, words of comfort and hope filled his heart and mind. He wrote them down, and they have since become a well beloved hymn:
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll-
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to know
It is well; it is well with my soul.
(Story Copied from www.thetabernaclechoir.org)
