David was at his wits’ end. Even his own men had turned against him. Yet he wasn’t at his faith’s end. Instead, David strengthened himself in the Lord.
How can you strengthen or encourage yourself in the Lord? What should you remember about God’s sovereignty, goodness, justice, and mercy? How might God be using your situation for good so that, as Romans 8.29 says, you can become more like Christ?
Today’s Readings:
1 Samuel 29, 30 & 31
Psalm 61.5-8
Proverbs 16.7-9
John 3.18-36
When You’re at Your Wits’ End
1 Samuel 29, 30 & 31:
A Man After God’s Own Heart … Are You Kidding?
What was David thinking?! Wanting to join the Philistines and go to war against Israel! God used the princes of the other Philistine clans to prevent him from doing such a foolish thing.
But it appears God wanted to get David’s undivided attention. So while he was off involved in a situation he should never have been involved in, God allowed the Amalekites to burn down his city and carry off all the women and children, leaving David at his wits’ end.
With the war in Ukraine raging on, my understanding of this became a little clearer. As I recalled the images we see regularly on the news of burned-out and collapsed buildings, I imagined what David and his men must have seen and felt when they returned home.
Unmet Desires
God would allow them to recover their families, all their possessions, and even take the spoil of the Amalekites. But David and his men didn’t know that. They came home tired and anxious to see their wives and children only to find the city burned and their families gone. After they wept over their losses, their emotions turned to anger against David.
Matthew Henry in his commentary on the Bible says they had joined David because they believed he would become king and they expected to all be princes by now. Instead, it looked like they had lost everything. Their grief was coupled with discontent, impatience, and disappointment over their unmet desires. To quote Henry, “Their own discontent and impatience added wormwood and gall to the affliction and misery, and made their case doubly grievous.”
And even after recovering everything, think about all the rebuilding that had to be done without modern equipment. Think about how their wives and children must have felt.
At His Wits’ End
David, on the other hand, demonstrated what made him “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam. 13.14). While he was an imperfect man, once God had his attention, he knew how to repent and turn back to God. He didn’t turn on his men, point out their wrongs, or give in to fear over their threats. Instead, he “strengthened himself in the LORD his God” (30.6) and sought His counsel (30.7-8).
Perhaps he remembered God’s sovereignty, His goodness, and His justice. He almost surely cried out for God’s mercy.
To quote Henry once again, “When he was at his wits’ end, he was not at his faith’s end.”
And in the meantime, Saul and his three sons died in battle. David, even with all his shortcomings, was, indeed, about to become king.
How Did David Strengthen Himself in the Lord?
We don’t know specifically what David thought about during that time. But I imagine he reflected on all the times God had protected and provided for him. Maybe he thought about his years as a shepherd boy and how God gave him the strength to kill the bear and the lion. Or maybe he thought about the time he went up against Goliath, how God had given him victory in battle, and how God had protected him from Saul. Maybe he remembered how Samuel had anointed him and declared that he would be Israel’s next king.
Whatever he thought about, somehow, he strengthened or, as one translation says, encouraged himself in the Lord.
When You’re at Your Wits’ End
How can you strengthen yourself in the Lord?
How have you seen God move in the past? What testimonies have you heard? What stories have you read in the Bible? Are there promises to remember?
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Rom. 15.4).
Get familiar with the stories of people in the Bible. Genesis alone is packed with the stories of real-life people, who struggled, sinned, were sinned against, and whose lives we can learn from. I wrote about many of those stories earlier this year as I went through Genesis. Go back through the January and February posts and choose one that speaks to you.
Here is a Sampling:
“When You Try Trusting God & Things Get Worse”
“Are You Sleeping with Frogs?”
“Leaving Family Traditions Behind”
Today’s Other Readings:
Psalm 61.5-8:
Vows and Promises
For You, O God, have heard my vows … (v. 5a).
God hears our vows and promises whether they are made directly to Him or to someone else. God’s word says, “… let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No,’ lest you fall into judgment” (Jas. 5.12). That should be all the reason we need to be men and women of our word.
Proverbs 16.7-9:
God’s Plans
A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps (v. 9).
We make our plans, hopefully with God’s guidance, but just as it was with David, God is still in control and it’s His plans which will stand.
John 3.18-36:
Less of Us & More of Him
He must increase, but I must decrease (v. 30).
As his own ministry was winding down, John the Baptist was quick to point to the One about whom he preached. This should be our desire, as well. As we grow in our walk with the Lord, those around us should see more and more of Him and less and less of us!
What About You? Questions to Ponder or Journal:
What do you do when you’re at your wits’ end? Do you respond more like David or like his men?
How can you strengthen or encourage yourself in the Lord? What should you remember about God’s sovereignty, goodness, justice, and mercy? How might God be using this for good so that as Romans 8.29 says, you can become more like Christ? How can this help you to decrease so that He might increase?
Coming Up:
In the coming days, we’ll look at how to respond to imperfect authority, discuss the cost of losing God’s restraining grace, and look at answers to life’s toughest questions. We’ll also talk about these questions: Do your kids know you LIKE them? And who is Jesus?
I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. You might also like to check out our new sister site Joyful Marriage Ministries. While you’re there, click the “events” tab for information on our upcoming marriage retreat.
And if this post spoke to you, I would so appreciate it if you would share it on your favorite social media platform.
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
I recently read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.
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