But David encouraged himself in the Lord His God

1 Samuel 30    ³ When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. ⁴ Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep. ⁵ Now David’s two wives had been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. ⁶ Moreover David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. 

Wow!  God is so good to us, to show us just what we need to see from His Word when we are hurting.  Have you ever been in a place like David and his people, where something so hard happened to you, that you lifted your voice and wept until there was no strength in you to weep.   I have, I have wept over things until I ran out of tears.  But then I would still weep a tearless weep.  Life is just really hard sometimes, really hurtful and really disappointing.  People fail us all the time, we fail them as well.  Dreams die, hopes fade, life can linger on as we grieve.  But God never fails.  His love never fails.  His mercies are new, truly new, every morning.

I love David’s heart so much.  He is a true leader, though he had great flaws as well.  Nobody’s perfect, right?   That’s why Jesus came to Save us, but I love David’s heart for God.  But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.   The KJV says, David encouraged himself in the Lord His God.  There is no other way to survive the ‘mine field’ that is this life, but to learn to do this very thing.  Any sense of control we may have is an illusion, only God is in control.  Only He can work all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8).  Our call is to Love Him and to trust His purpose for our lives.  The rest is on Him, and only  He can handle it.  One of my favorite Psalms is 131.  In it there is a simple child-like prayer.

“I do not involve myself in great matters or in things too difficult for me.  Surely I have composed and quieted my soul.  Like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me.   The Psalm finishes out with, “O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and  forevermore.    Israel…I always fill in that name with whoever I am praying over.  For example: “O  Carole, hope in the Lord, from this time forth and forevermore.    Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, cast your cares upon the Only One who can do anything about them; because He does and He will care for you.  I am living proof,  I am evidence of His Divine Mercy, Grace and His power to Transform.  And I have learned through many tough times just How to encourage myself in the Lord My God.  I pay you have and will continue to learn this right along with me.  He is Forever Faithful.  He will never, ever fail you.