David was in great danger; for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in spirit for their sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. (1 Sam. 30:6)
It was a terrible time for David. He was being chased and hunted by King Saul. He had just lost his protection with the Philistines. His two wives had been kidnapped. Many of the Jews wanted to stone him. David had no home, no refuge, no resources, and no safety. He was utterly bereft except for one thing: his faith in God.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re at the end of your own resources, you know exactly where David found himself. The death of a loved one, a child who’s in trouble, a job that has been lost, a friend who betrays you, a medical diagnosis—these are the times and places we can experience where David is in today’s scripture.
If we can identify with David’s circumstances, I invite us to do what David did. Just as he “strengthened himself in the LORD his God,” so we need to strengthen ourselves in the LORD our God. We can receive strength from God because He’s the greatest source of strength and courage.
Even if we don’t identify right now with the severity of David’s position, we need not wait to go to God for strength. We can go to God for strength for each day, each encounter, and each challenge. We aren’t meant to go through this life by our own strength.
If we know, we need more strength to do what we need or must do, if we want to stop feeling like we’re “running on empty,” if we want to greet each day with more hope and resilience, then I encourage us to follow David’s lead by strengthening ourselves in the LORD our God.
Reflection Questions:
- Have you ever felt like your own resources were spent and exhausted? If so, what were the circumstances?
- I strengthen myself in the Lord when I wait upon the Lord, trust in the Lord, read the Lord’s Word, serve the Lord, share fellowship in the Lord, and praise and share the Lord. How do you strengthen yourself in the Lord?
- Sometimes I don’t turn to the Lord’s strength until I’m in a predicament like David’s—in danger, lonely, empty, worried, and afraid. If you identify with what I just said, what would help you to remember that you need not wait to call upon the Lord’s strength to get through each day?