When You Have Nothing Left But God?
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When Everything Falls Apart
When Everything Falls Apart
How We Got Here
How We Got Here
We need to set up some of what has gotten us to where we are in this story. We also need to remember some of the themes we have seen in the previous chapters because, in many ways, we are coming full circle this evening.
A couple of weeks ago, we saw David trust his own reasoning.
1 Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.”
David said this in his own heart. He convinced himself that Saul was eventually going to kill him. He believed that fleeing to the Philistines was the only way he could survive. But that conclusion was not based on what God had said. God had already anointed David to be the next king of Israel. God had already made promises concerning David’s future. Saul could threaten David. Saul could pursue David. Saul could make David’s life miserable. But Saul could not cancel what God had declared. Yet David began listening to his fear instead of trusting the promise of God.
That lie led David outside of God’s will. He fled into the land of the Philistines. He began living under Achish, the king of Gath. He eventually received the city of Ziklag from Achish. But in order to maintain the security he had built for himself, David had to continue lying.
David would raid the enemies of Israel, but he would tell Achish that he had been raiding the Israelites. David was building his security upon deception. One lie required another lie. One compromise created the need for another compromise. David had built a house of cards, and eventually that house was going to fall.
That is where we find David in 1 Samuel 29.
The Philistines are preparing to march against Israel. David and his men are marching with Achish and the Philistine army. Remember that last week we looked at Saul’s reaction when he saw the Philistine army gathering against him. Saul was terrified. He sought the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him. Instead of humbling himself and repenting, Saul went looking for another source of guidance. The events of chapter 29 are taking place shortly before that battle.
2 As the lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish,
3 the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years, and since he deserted to me I have found no fault in him to this day.”
4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him. And the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here?
David is now in an incredibly dangerous position. He is marching with the Philistine army against his own people.
I do not believe David truly intended to attack Israel. David had repeatedly refused to kill Saul, even when he had the opportunity. David still understood that Saul was the Lord’s anointed. It is difficult to imagine David suddenly deciding to slaughter Saul, Jonathan, and the people of Israel.
Maybe David planned to turn against the Philistines during the battle. Maybe he planned to protect Saul and Israel by becoming an enemy within the Philistine army. Maybe David did not yet have a plan and was simply hoping that something would happen before he was forced to make a decision. The passage does not tell us exactly what David intended to do. But it does tell us that David was trapped.
If David refused to fight, Achish would know that David had been lying to him. David had convinced Achish that he had become an enemy of Israel. Refusing to fight against Israel would expose the truth.
But if David went into battle, he would be fighting alongside the Philistines against the very people God had called him to lead.
David had built a house of cards, and it was preparing to tumble down around him.
Then something happened that probably felt like rejection but was actually protection. The Philistine commanders refused to allow David to go into battle. They did not trust him. They remembered who David was. They believed that David might turn against them during the battle in order to reconcile himself to Saul. So they sent David away.
At the time, David may have felt embarrassed. He may have felt insulted. He may even have felt frustrated because whatever plan he had was no longer possible. But what looked like rejection was actually the grace of God. God used the distrust of the Philistine commanders to remove David from an impossible situation. David had gotten himself into this mess, but God still made a way out. God’s mercy still protected David from his own folly.
Even when we have made a mess through our own fear and our own choices, God is still able to show mercy.
Sometimes what feels like rejection is actually God’s protection. Sometimes a door closes because God knows what is waiting on the other side. Sometimes something we desperately wanted does not happen because God is preventing us from walking into an even greater disaster.
9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
David had made his plans, but God was still directing his steps.
David and his men were allowed to peacefully return home to Ziklag. They would not have to fight Israel. They would not have to expose David’s lies. They could remain on the sidelines while the Philistines and Israelites went to war. It must have felt like a relief.
But when David and his men arrived home, they discovered that everything had fallen apart.
1 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire
2 and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way.
3 And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.
Think about what David and his men must have felt. They were already tired. They had marched away from Ziklag with the Philistine army. Then they had been rejected and forced to march all the way back home. They were physically exhausted. Then they arrived and saw smoke. They saw that their homes had been burned. Everything they had worked for was gone. Their possessions were gone. Their wives were gone. Their sons and daughters were gone David’s two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, had been taken.
4 Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.
These were warriors. These were hardened men who had fought battles and survived dangerous situations. But the pain was so great that they wept until they physically could not weep anymore. There is nothing wrong with their tears. Faith does not mean that we never hurt. Faith does not mean that we never grieve. Faith does not mean that we pretend everything is fine when our world has fallen apart.
David wept. His men wept. They were overwhelmed by what they had lost. But grief soon turned into bitterness.
6 And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
These were the same men who had followed David through the wilderness. They had left their homes to follow him. They had fought beside him. They had protected him. They had trusted him as their leader. Now they were talking about killing him. Their grief needed somewhere to go, so they directed it toward David. They blamed him. David had led them to the Philistines. David had brought them to Ziklag. David had marched them away from their families. Now their families were gone, and they wanted David to pay for it.
David was completely alone. He could not run to Saul because Saul wanted him dead. He could not run to Achish because the Philistine commanders had rejected him. He could not lean upon his men because they wanted to stone him. His home had been burned. His possessions were gone. His wives had been taken. Every visible source of security had disappeared. David had nothing left.
And that brings us to the central question of this message:
What Do You Do When Everything Falls Apart?
What Do You Do When Everything Falls Apart?
What do you do when the people you trusted turn against you? What do you do when the future you planned disappears? What do you do when you lose something you thought you could not live without? What do you do when you do not know what is going to happen next? What do you do when you have cried until you do not have the strength to cry anymore?
David shows us what to do.
1. Strengthen Yourself in Who God Is
1. Strengthen Yourself in Who God Is
First Samuel 30:6 does not end with David’s distress. It does not end with the threats of his men. It does not end with the bitterness of the people.
6 And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
David turned to God when everything was taken from him. David turned to God. His story has had moments where he listened to lies and where he listened to God. In this moment, David turns to God.
David discovered that when everything else had been taken away, God had not left him.
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
God is with us during all of challenges in life, even when it doesn’t seem so.
So what does it mean that David strengthened himself in the Lord?
The passage does not give us every detail of what David did. But we know what David believed about God from the rest of his life and from the Psalms. David remembered who God was. He remembered what God had promised. He remembered how God had delivered him before. He could remember standing before Goliath. He could remember the times Saul threw spears at him and missed. He could remember escaping from Saul in the wilderness. He could remember the caves, the battles, and the dangers through which God had carried him.
When David faced Goliath, he said:
37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
David’s confidence had not been in his own strength. It had been in the God who had already proven Himself faithful. Sometimes strengthening yourself in the Lord means remembering what God has already brought you through. You remember the prayers He has answered. You remember the doors He has opened. You remember the times He provided when you did not know how your needs would be met. You remember the times He carried you when you did not believe you could keep going. You remember that God has been faithful before, and because His character has not changed, He will still be faithful today.
Sometimes nobody else is available to encourage you. Sometimes the people around you are struggling too. Sometimes the people you hoped would support you are the very people who have turned against you. In those moments, you must remind yourself of what is true. You must preach the faithfulness of God to your own heart. You must say, “I do not understand what is happening, but I know who God is.” “I do not know how this will end, but I know God has not abandoned me.” “I do not know what tomorrow holds, but I know the One who holds tomorrow.”
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
David needed strength. He could not find that strength in his city because the city had been burned. He could not find that strength in his possessions because the possessions were gone. He could not find that strength in his men because they had turned against him. He found strength in the Lord.
What is your security in tonight?
Is your security in your friendships? Is it in your family? Is it in your position on a sports team? Is it in what other people think about you? Is it in a boyfriend or a girlfriend? Is it in your grades? Is it in your plans for the future? Is it in your money, your possessions, your popularity, or your ability?
There is nothing wrong with being thankful for these things. There is nothing wrong with loving your friends or your family. There is nothing wrong with working hard and making plans. But none of those things were designed to carry the full weight of your security.
People can disappoint you. Relationships can change. Plans can fail. Possessions can disappear. Your health can change. Your circumstances can change overnight.If your entire identity and security are built upon something temporary, then when that temporary thing is shaken, you will be shaken with it.
But God does not change. David’s circumstances had changed, but God’s character had not. The city was gone, but God remained. The people had turned against him, but God remained. David had nothing left except God. And David discovered that God was enough.
2. Seek God Before Making the Next Move
2. Seek God Before Making the Next Move
David strengthened himself in the Lord, but he did not stop there.
7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
8 And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.”
The natural response would have been to immediately chase after the Amalekites. Their families had been taken. Every moment mattered. The trail could grow cold. The Amalekites could travel farther away. The captives could be harmed. There was every reason to believe that David needed to act immediately. But before David moved, he sought God.
David did not assume that because something seemed obvious, it must automatically be the will of God.
He asked:
“Shall I pursue?”
“Shall I overtake them?”
David had learned something from his time in Philistine territory. In chapter 27, David made a major decision without seeking God. He said in his own heart, “There is nothing better for me than to escape.”
Now, in chapter 30, David does not trust his feelings alone. He does not trust the urgency of the situation. He does not trust his own reasoning. He asks God for direction.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
David had leaned upon his own understanding, and it had led him into a dangerous place. Now he acknowledges God. That is one of the great lessons of this passage. When everything falls apart, do not let panic make your decisions. Do not let fear become your counselor. Do not let anger determine your next move. Do not let bitterness choose your response.
Seek God.
There is a temptation during a crisis to react before we pray. We send the message. We say the angry words. We make the decision. We quit. We run. We fight. We try to fix everything ourselves. Then, after we have made the situation worse, we ask God to bless what we have already decided to do.
David shows us a better way. He sought God first.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
God is not offended when we admit that we do not know what to do. God does not shame us for seeking direction. He invites us to ask for wisdom. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can say is, “God, I do not know what to do next.” “God, I know what I want to do, but I want to know what You want me to do.” “God, I know what my emotions are telling me, but I want Your wisdom.” “God, show me what obedience looks like in this situation.”
That is really what David was asking. He was not merely asking God to remove the pain. He was asking, “What does obedience look like now?” That is an important prayer. We often pray, “God, get me out of this situation.” There is nothing wrong with asking God for deliverance. David repeatedly cried out to God for deliverance.
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
David knew how to cry out to God. But sometimes the answer is not immediate escape. Sometimes God says, “Walk through this with Me.” Sometimes He says, “Take the next faithful step.” Sometimes He does not remove the battle. He tells us how to walk into it.
God gave David direction, and He also gave David a promise. But notice that God’s answer did not remove the journey David still had to gather the men. He still had to travel. He still had to search for the Amalekites. He still had to fight. God promised the victory, but David still had to walk in obedience.
David did not remain in the ashes of Ziklag waiting for God to bring everything back to him. He moved in the direction God had given him. Faith is not passive. Faith does not mean that we do nothing and expect God to do everything for us. Faith means that we trust God enough to obey Him.
He trusted that what God had promised would happen. This is important because obedience often comes before we see the outcome.
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Walking by faith does not mean walking without direction. It means walking according to what God has said even when we cannot yet see the result.
There will be moments when obedience does not immediately make your situation easier. Forgiving someone may not immediately repair the relationship. Telling the truth may create uncomfortable consequences. Doing the right thing may cost you friendships. Walking away from sin may feel lonely. Following God’s direction may require patience, courage, and sacrifice. But faith trusts that God’s way is better than our way.
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
A lamp does not always illuminate the entire road. Sometimes it only gives enough light for the next step. We often want God to show us everything. We want to know exactly how the situation will end. We want to know what will happen tomorrow, next week, and next year. But often God gives us enough direction for the next act of obedience.
Conclusion
Conclusion
David is eventually led to the Amelekites and is able to rescue his family and the family of his men.
Here is the reality of life:
We will face adversity. We will experience problems. We will walk through situations that we did not expect and would never have chosen. God does not promise that we will never face hardship.
Jesus said:
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Jesus did not say that following Him would remove every difficulty. He said that trouble would come. But He also said that trouble would not have the final word.
David’s story shows us that difficult circumstances do not mean God has abandoned us. There will be moments when everything around us feels unstable. Friends may turn against us. Relationships may end. Plans may fail. Something we worked for may disappear. We may find ourselves grieving something we cannot recover on our own. When those moments come, we have a choice. We can become bitter like David’s men. We can search for someone to blame. We can react in anger. We can panic and rush into another bad decision.
Or we can do what David did. We can strengthen ourselves in the Lord. We can remember who God is. We can remember what God has promised. We can remember how God has been faithful before. We can seek Him before making the next move. We can ask, “God, what does obedience look like now?” Then we can trust His answer enough to act.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
This verse does not say that everything that happens is good. Ziklag being burned was not good. Families being taken captive was not good. David’s men threatening to stone him was not good. But God was able to work through all of it. He used the rejection of the Philistine commanders to protect David. He used the destruction of David’s false security to turn David’s heart back toward Him. He used the crisis to teach David to seek His direction again. He used the pursuit to restore what had been taken. God did not waste David’s pain. He used it to bring David back to dependence.
8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
The Christian life is not a life without affliction. It is a life in which affliction does not have the power to destroy our hope. We may lose things in this world, but we cannot lose the God who holds us.
If your security is wrapped up in the world, then when problems come, you will crumble. If your identity is built upon people, then when people fail you, your identity will fail with them. If your hope is built upon circumstances, then when your circumstances change, your hope will disappear.
Jesus described two people who built houses.
One built upon sand.
The other built upon rock.
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
The storm came to both houses. The difference was not that one person avoided the storm. The difference was the foundation.
I asked earlier where your security lies. What is your life built upon? Is it built upon something that can be taken away? Or is it built upon the unchanging character of God?
Place your security in who God is. Place your security in His promises. Place your security in the God who has never left you, never forsaken you, and never failed to keep His word.
Then, when the challenges of life come, you will still grieve. You may still weep. You may still feel distressed.
But you will not be without hope. You will have a refuge. You will have a source of strength. You will have someone to seek for wisdom. You will have a rock beneath your feet.
Sometimes God allows every false source of strength to fail so that we will return to the One who has never failed us. When everything falls apart, strengthen yourself in the Lord. Seek Him before making your next move. Trust His answer enough to obey. And when He brings you through, remember that the victory belongs to Him.
