Learn How To Encourage Yourself

Text

1 Samuel 30:1–6 NASB95

1 Then it happened when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev and on Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire; 2 and they took captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great, without killing anyone, and carried them off and went their way. 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 (encourgaed) himself in the Lord his God.

David has been a great example of a man of God in the bible, everyone wants to be like David, he’s most people’s favourite bible character

However, the bible is brutally honest about the failures of men, even men like David

Yes he is a man after God’s own heart but he sinned, he struggled, and he faced difficult times where His only option was to cry out to God.

There are times when we believe that our faith should result in a slightly easier life. Smoother sailing, less problems/easier problems.

But faith hurts. Faith brings trial!

But we need to understand that it is in the crucible of the crisis, arena of affliction, and the midst of the mess that FAITH is tested and proven.

Faith is not tested in good times. In fact, one might even say it’s easy to have faith in good times

But what happens when the road gets long and the going gets tough?

1 Peter 1:6–7 “6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”

Life has a way of making you feel alone, isolated, swamped and overwhelmed. Especially when you have to deal with madness of Monday, the trials of Tuesday, the woes of Wednesday, terrors of Thursday, fires of Friday, situation that popped on Saturday. . .some of us surprise ourselves that we actually make it on Sunday.

But when life gets overwhelming and distressing. . .don’t run, don’t give in, don’t let the enemy win

Learn how to encourage yourself, in the Lord

Up to this point, David has faced many things in his life

This David was the one who was looked down by his older brother when he came to the battle to deliver some food.