What would you do if one day you came home from work and your family and everything you own was gone? This is the situation in which we find David in 1 Samuel 30. David and his men return to Ziklag only to find that while they were gone, there families and and all there possessions had been taken by the Amalekites. To make matters worse, David’s once loyal men were now openly discussing if they should stone him. 1 Samuel 30 verse 6 says that David was greatly distressed. In fact, two verses before, the Bible states that David wept so long that he no longer had the power to weep. David was overwhelmed.
In studying David’s life it is easy to find many instances where David is overwhelmed. Throughout his life we see David overwhelmed by a jealous king, the loss of his family, a rebellious son, and even his own failures. But in each of these situations where we find David overwhelmed, we never once find David overcome. What is the secret? What allowed David to gain victory each and every time? The key to David’s success and even to why David was called “A man after God’s own heart” is found at the end of 1 Samuel 30 verse 6. It is here that even though David had lost everything, he turned to the One he could not lose. The end of the verse says that “David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”
When David was overwhelmed, he wouldn’t encourage himself in who he was. He would not encourage himself in who his friends were. David would encourage himself in the Lord. The Hebrew word for encourage means to fasten upon. David fastened upon God and he would not let Him go just like Jacob would not let God go when He wrestled with Him all night until He blessed him. David encouraged himself in the Lord because of who He is and what the Lord had done for Him in the past. We also need to notice that, in this verse, God is described as David’s God. David had an intimate relationship with God.
How is your relationship with God today? Do you find yourself overwhelmed this morning? If you do, I want to tell you there is hope. I want to tell you that you can fasten upon God just as David did. God wants to have an intimate relationship with you. When you are overwhelmed, He is that rock, that shelter, that strong tower from the enemy (Ps 61:2-3). Will you abide with Him today? Will you spend time in His Word? Will you pour out your heart to Him in prayer? He is waiting. Will you come to Him?
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