Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel. As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear with Achish. The commanders of the Philistines asked, "What about these Hebrews?"
Achish replied, "Is this not David, who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year, and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him."
But the Philistine commanders were angry with him and said, "Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master's favor than by taking the heads of our own men? Isn't this the David they sang about in their dances:
" 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?"
So Achish called David and said to him, "As surely as the Lord lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day you came to me until now, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers don't approve of you. Turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers."
"But what have I done?" asked David. "What have you found against your servant from the day I came to you until now? Why can't I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"
Achish answered, "I know that you have been as pleasing in my eyes as an angel of God; nevertheless, the Philistine commanders have said, 'He must not go up with us into battle.' Now get up early, along with your master's servants who have come with you, and leave in the morning as soon as it is light."
So David and his men got up early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, and had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.
When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David's two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.
1 Samuel 29, 30:1-6
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
There will come times in life for all of us when we will face disappointment and despair, finding ourselves distraught and in need of comfort and peace. During those times, Satan will always try and make us feel isolated and alone…lost and without hope…confused and disoriented…numb and unloved. Maybe you can relate. I know I can.
Well in this scripture passage, we find David in these very circumstances and we also find the key to dealing with these matters when they come upon us.
You’ll recall that Saul was told by Samuel’s spirit in Chapter 28 that he and his sons were about to die in battle as he led his army against the advancing Philistines. All of this came because Saul had decided to not obey the Lord…the One who had anointed him king over Israel.
And so as Chapter 29 opens, the Philistines are beginning their approach on Saul and his army. Scripture tells us that “the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands” while “David and his men were marching at the rear with Achish”. It was at this point that the Philistine commanders brought a concern to King Achish.
We read where their concerns were centered on David and his Hebrew men accompanying them. But Achish initially rejects their concern saying, “Is this not David, who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year, and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him."
Still, the Philistine commanders persisted in their argument, now angry with Achish as they demanded, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master's favor than by taking the heads of our own men? Isn't this the David they sang about in their dances: " 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?" The Philistine commanders wished for nothing more than victory and did not want to be concerned that the Hebrews in their midst might turn and fight against them in battle.
Seeing that the commanders were not going to settle for anything less than David and his men being sent back, Achish gives into their request and calls David to him saying, “As surely as the Lord lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day you came to me until now, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers don't approve of you. Turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers." David doesn’t take the news well.
For we read the sheer disappointment this word brings him as he asks Achish, “But what have I done?…What have you found against your servant from the day I came to you until now? Why can't I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?" But Achish did not relent for he knew his commanders were not going to change their minds. He answered David’s question and attempted to quell his disappointment by saying, “I know that you have been as pleasing in my eyes as an angel of God; nevertheless, the Philistine commanders have said, 'He must not go up with us into battle.' Now get up early, along with your master's servants who have come with you, and leave in the morning as soon as it is light." The decision had been made and David and his men had to return to Ziklag. And “early in the morning” that’s exactly what they did.
Now we know that David was already disappointed at being rejected by the Philistine commanders and this had to burn in his mind as he made the three day journey back to the town Achish had given him and his men. But the disappointment of rejection wouldn’t compare to the distress and despair that he and his men felt when they reached home.
This is because they found their town ravaged and burned by the Amalekites who “had raided the Negev and Ziklag”. And the Amalekites didn’t just destroy the town, they also took everyone captive…the “women and all who were in it, both young and old”. The only encouragement for David and his men was that the Amalekites had not killed any of their family members but instead “carried them off as they went on their way”.
Still, David and his men were greatly distressed, weeping “aloud until they had no strength left to weep”. But this grief soon turned to anger as David’s men began to blame David for what had happened and were “talking of stoning him” because “each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters”. David, who had lost his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, had reached a real low point in his life…a point that left him greatly distressed. And it was at this point…at his low point in life…at a time when everything seemed to be coming apart at the seams…at a time when he fell weak at the feet of his troubling circumstances…that he found a source of strength…the only source of strength that could pull him through his situation.
That strength…a strength that came when he needed it most…came from the Lord his God.
And friends, the good news is that the Lord is willing and ready to grant us the strength we need as well, no matter what our circumstances are. When we are at our weakest, He is always there to lift us up, set us back on our feet and empower us to walk ahead, meeting the challenges we face by His strength and guidance…and that’s the only way we can make it. Don’t think you have enough strength on your own.
So what are you going through today? You probably haven’t been rejected to fight with a Philistine army and sent home to a town that was ravaged and burned with your family carried off by marauders like David. But you probably are going through some other kind of difficulty that is bringing you some sort of distress. And if you’re aren’t, rest assured that you will eventually.
Either way, we find in our scriptures today that we can always turn to the Lord for strength when we need it. And frankly, we need that strength each and every day we wake to help us cope with life’s circumstances.
Without Him, we are destined to fall into despair and distress and hopelessness.
But with Him, we can do all things because His strength is ever present…always there when we need it most…and perfect…a truth that reminds me of the lyrics of one of my favorite Christian songs, “His Strength is Perfect”…lyrics that I’ll close with today:
His strength is perfect when our strength is gone
He'll carry us when we can't carry on
Raised in his power the weak becomes strong
His strength is perfect
His strength is perfect
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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