By Pastor Andrew Farland
In 1 Samuel 30, David comes to his home of Ziklag and finds it completely burned to the ground. Not only that but all the women and children were carried off by the enemy!
When David and his men saw what had happened, they wept bitterly until they had no more tears.
In life, we often come face-to-face with sudden, unspeakable tragedy, loss, and grief. Our emotions take over, and before long, our eyes can’t shed another tear. But that wasn’t the end of the story for David, and it’s NOT the end of the story for you and me.
The Bible says that though the enemy took their families, they did it without killing anyone (1 Samuel 30:2).
So what was God doing here? The same thing he did with Job when the devil wanted to take his life.
“The Lord said to Satan, “Very well then, he is in your hands but you MUST spare his life” (Job 2:6).
Things will never be perfect on this side of heaven. Men and women have evil thoughts, intentions, and desires. We are living in a world where imperfect and broken people have free will. But one thing stays true: “God is not only the giver of life but the preserver of life. He’s the same God who gave the seas their boundaries, so the waters would not overstep his command” [Proverbs 8:29].
So, how does the story end for David?
After seeking and finding strength in the Lord, David and his 600 men set out to recover everything that was taken. Not only did they succeed and get back everything stolen by the Amalekites, but God’s favor guided them along the way. God made the right people show up along the way to guide David and his men secretly into enemy territory!
When you go through loss without God, you are left on your own to pick up the pieces and put them back together.
But go through loss WITH God, and His favor will lead you back to safety unharmed.
Psalm 23 says,
“He leads me by the still waters” and He goes with me into the scary valleys, until the tunnel I’m in begins to flood with His glorious light.
To every situation that looks impossible, we can now boldly say:
1 Corinthians 15:55
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? Thanks be to God he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Be encouraged today because God is with you.
