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In I Samuel 30:1 (NLT) we read: 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. They had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone. When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families, they wept until they could weep no more

              One can only imagine the depth of despair and grief these men were confronted with.  No wonder they would weep until they could weep no more.  And David probably had much more on his mind. At this point the jealous King Saul is still in pursuit, there is probably some guilt about leaving the families apparently unprotected, and in verse six (ESV) we read:  “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.”             

              ‘Bitter in soul’ is a state of mind I think most of us find ourselves in at one or more times in our life’s journey.  Despair and depression are very common in our busy and stressful world.  The urgent continues to outshout the important and stress points amalgamate to form stress mountains. The product is frequently bitterness, a tendency to blame others, and yes even at times disenchantment, disenchantment with God in allowing such events to transpire.

              There’s a great lesson to be learned from David’s response to his world falling apart all around him.  There’s a wonderful ‘but’ at the end of verse six:  “But David found strength in the LORD his God.”

              There’s no suggestion of retaliation toward those wanting to stone him.  No lamenting over the past and things that could have been done better but can’t be changed.  Only the recognition that the situation required his God.  David seeks direction from the Lord and in verse eight we read. Then David asked the LORD, “Should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them? ”And the LORD told him, “Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!”

              David’s decision to seek the Lord’s direction resulted in a full recovery of their loss.

              I recently read a wise quote:  “The prayers we don’t have time to pray are generally the prayers we need the most”.                                         Pastor Dave