"Snippets" from David
 

When Life Simply Becomes Too Much!

Life in this world can become “simply too much.”  Recently, a friend told me of an extremely difficult week in his family.  It seemed to him one woe was merely a gateway to an even bigger woe.  He said, “Some people say when it rains, it pours.  This week, when it poured, it also flooded.”  At times stress increases until it becomes distress, and distress increases until we are freaked out!  What do we do when our problems’ shadows are bigger than we are?

David lived a horrible life in exile!  He went from being Israel’s darling to being King Saul’s criminal.  He had to flee from his home to his enemy to preserve his life.  His mother and father had to be moved from Judah because they were in danger—just because he was their son!  The malcontents of Israel flowed to him expecting leadership.  He lived in the wilderness in a stressful hand-to-mouth existence.  Nabal insulted him, tempting him to do something he had never done.  In 1 Samuel 21:1, David was so pressured by an enraged King Saul that he was confident he would die if he remained in the Judean wilderness.  The only option for him and his men was to turn to the Philistines for asylum.

King Achish of the Philistines not only gave David asylum, but also gave David and his men their own place to live (Ziklag).  When Achish planned an attack on Israel, he wanted to include David in his attack force.  Just prior to the attack, the commanders of the Philistine army refused for David and his men to be involved in the attack.  Reluctantly, King Achish sent David home.

When David and his men returned to Ziklag, they discovered the town was (in their absence) raided by the Amalekites.  Ziklag was burned, and their wives and children were captives.  David’s men cried until they had no strength to cry (1 Samuel 30:4).  They were so distressed that they talked of killing David (1 Samuel 30:6).

What do you do when your whole world seems upside down and all are against you?  What do you do when you try to do good and no one sees your effort?  What do you do when everyone is so focused on his or her grief they cannot see your grief?

David yet again turned to the Lord.  When bad turned to worse, David continued to turn to the Lord (1 Samuel 30:8).  He did what he did so often: He asked the Lord what to do.

Never think things are as bad as they can get.  Things can always get worse.  Never think God cannot use your bad experiences to achieve good purposes.  He always can.

Satan continues to be alive and well.  In no way can Satan defeat God—Satan’s defeat was guaranteed through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  He can no longer accuse us before God as he did Job (Job l:7-9; 2:2-5; Romans 8:31-34).  Nothing external of the person in Christ can separate him or her from God’s love.  He or she who wishes to remain in God’s love cannot be separated from God’s love (Romans 8:37-39).

18 April, 2007
David Chadwell


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