Finding Your Strength

1 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire,

1 Samuel 30:3 NKJV

3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.

1 Samuel 30:4 NKJV

4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

1 Samuel 30:6 NKJV

6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

We are living in a time of great despair

A little over a week ago

++Israel was attacked

++War was declared

++Many people have died

++Some were taken

Families from many countries have been impacted

A voice of weeping

There is a cry from the world over

++Some cry for retaliation

++Some cry for restraint

++All cry for some type of resolution

Hope is hard to find in pain

Job 6:11 NKJV

11 “What strength do I have, that I should hope? And what is my end, that I should prolong my life?

Proverbs 13:12 NKJV

12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

Luke 15:3–4 NKJV

3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?

This may not seem important

++He still had ninety-nine

++What difference would one make?

If you went to cash a check for 1000 and the cashier only gave you 900 what would you do?

A rescue mission

Matthew 18:11 NKJV

11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

He came

++To save

++To restore what was lost

What was lost?

It was

++not a sheep

++now a coin

++a relationship

Romans 10:21 NKJV

21 But to Israel he says: “All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people.”

2 Corinthians 5:18–19 NKJV

18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Finding your strength

David was just coming home

1 Samuel 30:1 NKJV

1 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire,

They lost everything

++Homes burned with fire

++Wives and children taken

1 Samuel 30:3 NKJV

3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.

Suffering loss

++Is not limited to conflict

++Is not a war thing

++Is just a part of life

1 Samuel 30:4 NKJV

4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

Their voice was one of weeping

David’s Mighty Men

++Defeated armies

++Overcame the enemy

++Were brought to tears

Their weeping only

++Deepened the despair

++Took away their strength

A rising distress

1 Samuel 30:6 NKJV

The people

++Blamed David

++He was supposed to protect them

++Wanted someone to pay for their grief

++Spoke of stoning him

Weeping would not change anything

Despair, Distress, worry

Almost got him killed

David found His Strength

He strengthened himself

++Though Distressed

++Though In Despair

++In personal loss

++In the Lord

1 Samuel 30:6 KJV 1900

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.

Sometimes all you will have is your relationship

Psalm 121:1–2 NKJV

1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 34:19 NKJV

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Psalm 37:25 NKJV

25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.

He did not find his strength

++In himself

++In his ability

++In his wisdom

Ecclesiastes 9:11 NKJV

11 I returned and saw under the sun that— The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.

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