Last week my friend, Pastor Randy Snow, shared a devotion from 1 Samuel 30:6 which says, "And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God."
I'm not going to recap Randy's devotional, just believe me when I say it was excellent.
Every since that day I've been thinking about the last part of that verse: "...but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God."
There's a lot of stuff happening in my life right now, and I'm sure in your life too. Many days fly by and it seems we get little or nothing accomplished. Often it's easy to become discouraged.
1 Samuel 30 tells of an account where David and his men had been dealt a hard blow, and when the people became discouraged and afraid, they decided to take things out on their leader.
But notice David's response to his own discouragement and the threats of the people... "...but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God."
He encouraged himself in the Lord. He found reasons to rejoice, to be happy, to trust in the Lord his God.
We must daily trust in the Lord. We must daily give Him praise, in good times and in bad.
I've also been thinking of the words of the prophet Habakkuk, Habakkuk 3:17-18 says, "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."
The Joe Mayo translation, "Even though nothing is going right, even though I'm broke and not sure how things will work out, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."
We must daily be encouraged in the Lord our God. He is our hope!
I heard a statement years ago that I think applies here, "If that don't light your fire, your woods wet!"
"David encouraged himself in the Lord... I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."
Maybe today has been one of "those" days for you. Maybe it's been one of those weeks, months or years.
Encourage yourself in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord.
Earlier today I listened to a sermon by Missionary Mark Buntain. At the end of the sermon he said, "I do not pray for an easy life. I do not ask for an easy road. I only pray for consistent, righteous, faithfulness, humility, honesty, sincerity and obedience to the divine Word of God."
Pretty powerful statement!
Be encouraged. God good, He is faithful and He is our hope.
Rejoice in Him.
