Recently I was the middle of a crisis that was beyond my control and caused me a lot of sweat, stress, and tears. I was thoroughly frustrated and my response to the situation was less than calm. I was angry and I blamed others for my predicament.

In 1 Samuel 30, David and his men arrived home to find that one of their enemies, the Amalekites, had raided their town and had taken EVERYTHING – including the women and children. When David and the men saw the devastation and destruction, the Bible says “they wept until they could weep no more”. (1 Samuel 30:4 NLT) I can’t say that I blame them! I would imagine they responded like most of us would to losing all that we know and love. I’ve “wept until I could weep no more” over heartbreaking and painful events in my life too.

They wept and then their responses changed. The men grew bitter and angry and wanted to stone their leader, David. I guess they blamed him for what had happened. But David, the Bible says, “found strength in the LORD his God.” (v6) When everyone else was against David, he knew the best response was to turn to God for strength in his crisis.

When I read this passage, the words “HIS God” grabbed my attention. David knew he could turn to God because God was his God. He knew God’s character.  He knew God was his comforter in everything. He knew from past experience God was faithful.  He knew these things because he spent time with God and he listened to God. David wasn’t perfect but even in his imperfection, he was still seeking his God.

When we experience a crisis, we have a choice of how we respond. We can get angry, bitter, and blame others or, we can turn to God who is our refuge and strength, knowing that God gives his help and comfort to those who love and seek him.

© 2019 Robin R King

 

1 Samuel 30:1-6 (NLT)

30 Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag; they had crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground. ² They had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone.

³ When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families, ⁴ they wept until they could weep no more. ⁵ David’s two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel, were among those captured. 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.