What to do when everything goes wrong!
Your friends have left you. All earthly possessions are gone. Those you thought love you want you dead. What do you do?
1Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
Way back in the day squatters kicked us off the Bible College land in Arequipa, Peru. Nine of us went to the hospital. I got 12 stitches in the top of my head. By the grace of the Lord we all survived.
Nothing is going right for David. The Philistines have mounted an attack against Israel and he is with the Philistines. The Philistines do not trust him. He has to be worried about what is going to happen to his men and him. King Achish sends him away. He returns to his hometown of Ziklag to find it destroyed by fire and all of his people (over 200 of them) and his wives taken captives.
His own loyal men talk of stoning him. David is alone, no friends. He has lost all of our stuff. He is on the run for his life. The only friends he has in the world want to kill him.
What do you do when literally everything is going wrong? Can we learn anything from David’s example?
Ronald and Asunta Tubillas visited me after my 10 hour plus surgery that tried to remove my cancer. I have been dealing with cancer and covid and surviving now for over 12 years.
David encouraged himself in the Lord. He goes alone with God. He lays out his complaint. Philippians 4:6-7. He surely complained to the Lord. He told Him of his situation. Somewhere in the middle of his prayer time, David felt better. He had to feel better by faith because the only thing that would have changed would have been what God did in his heart.
I am sure that he realized God is a God who hears and answers prayer. Psalm 66:20. David gives God his petition. He begs God to work. He believes God Hebrews 11:6. David thanks God. Then the peace of God floods over his soul because he knows God has heard his prayers and will answer.
He then controls his thoughts and thinks only of the truth that he finds in the Bible. Philippians 4:8.
Do you see the application to your life? Everything can go wrong. Nothing seems to be right. It would appear that God Himself has left. At least, that is what Satan would have you think.
The challenge for you today is to get into your Bible and prayer. You can encourage yourself in the Lord. I know I have proven that He is there. You can survive and more than that you can thrive.
I challenge you right now to encourage yourself in the Lord. Take your requests and make them known to God. Beg Him to work in your life. Thank Him already for the answer that He is going to give. Then get up convinced that the God of Heaven has heard and will answer your prayers and meet your needs.
David got up. He called for the priests and said, ask God what He wants me to do. I will do it. God gave Him the victory just like He will do for you. When everything goes wrong, then it is time to encourage yourself in the Lord.