Get a Grip

Read 1 Samuel 29-30:6.

As the Philistines mustered for war against Israel, the commanders noticed David and his men.  Though David had lived among them for some time and had served as the king's bodyguard, these military leaders did not trust him.  Telling elite fighting men that they cannot go is an unbelievable rejection.

Though the disappointment must have been great, God knew what He was doing.  What was God doing?

1. He protected David from being party to the Philistines defeating and killing Saul, Jonathan, and fellow countrymen.

2. He sent David home to take care of an emergency involving his own family.

While David and his men were gone, the Amalekites attacked their home in the city of Ziklag.  They burned the city and took everything they could, including all the women and children.  Gratefully, the Amalekites did not kill anyone.  With the soldiers gone, there was no resistance.

David and those with him sat down and cried until they could cry no more.  Quickly, the loss and hurt turned to blame.  They wanted to stone David to death.  What is this leader to do?  He experienced the same losses they did.  He was hurting too.  Note the end of verse 6: "But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God."

The very first step he took was to spend time alone with God to gain strength to face this overwhelming stress.  In Hebrew, the word strengthen means to fasten, to lay hold of, to grip.  Where did David learn to strengthen his grip on God as he faced life and death circumstances?  Previously, in chapter 23, when Saul came to kill David in the Wilderness of Ziph, his best friend Jonathan found him.  In 23:16, Jonathan did not come merely to warn David but he "strengthened his hand in God."

A couple of reminders when we are in pain:

1. We all need those people in our lives who can come alongside to encourage us, comfort us, remind us, and urge us on in our faith.  It is called discipleship.  No one grows as a believer without it.

2. When God closes a door there is a reason that matters to everyone involved.  Life is not just about us.  Each action directly affects the lives of all those around us, in one way or another.  Though for the moment all appears to be lost, the story is not over.  The rest of this chapter has a happy ending.  And, so does ours as we maintain our grip on the Lord.