August 1 – 1 Samuel 30:1-6

August 1 – 1 Samuel 30:1-6

30 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.  4  Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.  5  David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.  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.

Have you ever lost your child or spouse in a crowd and panic suddenly set in with your heart beating and thinking the worse has happened?  Usually as we settle our minds everything works out.  Imagine how David and his men  felt as they entered Ziklag and learned the Amalekites had taken all the women and their children as prisoners.  To make things worse, the men turned on David speaking of stoning him because of bitterness in their hearts.

 

Where does your mind and heart turn when in the midst of tragedy?

 

The scripture speaks of the men weeping until they had no strength. 

 

What experiences in life have caught you in the midst of weeping and grief until you were left exhausted? 

 

This passage closes by sharing David strengthened himself with trust in in his God.  Our God is the same God that David turned to in the midst of tragedy.  In the midst of your sorrow or tragedy take comfort that our God too has experienced grief, pain and sorrow.  Call upon him and trust in his goodness to help you make your way through this time in your life.