When the enemy attacks

Step 1: Encourage yourself in the Lord

1 Samuel 30:6 NLT

6 David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the Lord his God.

it is distressing - because it was a surprise attack with serious repercussions

you can’t always count on others to encourage you, build you up

thus you have to encourage yourself in the Lord

not just encourage yourself

not just build yourself back up

but do it in the Lord

find encouragement not in yourself

don’t say, “I got this” . . . I can do this . . . can’t keep a good man/woman down . . . us Cavers are built of strong stock . . . Fort Worth Strong . . .

no, encourage you self in the Lord

God has not brought me this far to leave me

nothing can separate me from the love of God

God is more than able

there is nothing too hard for God

if God is watching over the sparrows, he is watching over me

behold he that keepeth thee, neither slumbers nor sleeps

God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble

use what you know about the Lord to take your mind from problems to possibilities

Step 2: Ask and seek

1 Samuel 30:8 NLT

8 Then David asked the Lord, “Should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them?” And the Lord told him, “Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!”

David is combining the two steps of ask and seek

he didn’t say God be with me as I go

instead he is saying, “I got this situation, should I go”

I have this problem, what should I do about this problem

asking and seeking

an old song says, “take your burden to the Lord, and leave it there”

we often take our two cents about our burden to the Lord

leave you two cents out of it, just take the burden itself

seek God on what to do, and he will tell you

Lord, bring so and so back home . . . might not be the answer

just take the problem . . . . we have a broken relationship, please help us

Step 3: Do all that you can

1 Samuel 30:9–10 NLT

9 So David and his 600 men set out, and they came to the brook Besor. 10 But 200 of the men were too exhausted to cross the brook, so David continued the pursuit with 400 men.

they set out in a general direction . . . faith, knocking

200 went as far as they could, but were too exhausted to continue

400 kept going

Step 4:

1 Samuel 30:18–19 NASB95

18 So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives. 19 But nothing of theirs was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that they had taken for themselves; David brought it all back.