Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 30:1-6
1 Samuel 30:6 — But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
God promises courage when life goes bad. David’s men spoke of stoning him to death. The men were bitter because while they were away from home fighting alongside David, their families had been taken captive by the Amalekites. They blamed David for their loss, even though David had lost his wives also.
David and his men were devastated and wept until they could cry no more. All that he and his men had been fighting to protect had been taken from them, and now his men were thinking about killing him. What could David do?
The Scripture says that David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. Psalm 18 shows us the mindset of David and it is an excellent psalm to read when you feel oppressed by the enemies of your soul.
David says, “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” (verse 6). David cried to God for help when he was in trouble, and God heard him. “This God—His way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him” (verse 30). David trusted God’s Word and God’s way.
David encouraged himself in the truth about who God is and what God had said and done in His Word. Knowing God strengthened David and gave him the courage to go pursue the Amalekites and taken back everything and everyone the enemy had stolen.
“I pursued my enemies and overtook them . . . for you equipped me with strength for the battle” (verses 37 and 39). Truth is an amazing weapon in our spiritual warfare. Knowing who God is and that He is on our side and fighting for us gives us courage to fight the good fight of faith every day. Wear the belt of truth today (Ephesians 6:14).
08/30/2024
Devotional
" David encouraged himself in the truth about who God is and what God had said and done in His Word."
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NLT
[8] We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed but not driven to despair. [9] We are hunted down but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
Job 36:15-16 NLT
[15] But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity. [16] “God is leading you away from danger, Job, to a place free from distress. He is setting your table with the best food.
You are the one who leads…