FINDING STRENGTH TO KEEP ON KEEPING ON

BIBLE PASSAGE:
David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of
stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons
and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.
(1 Samuel 30:6)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever watched an outstanding athlete and wondered,
    “How did he or she get to be that good?”
Obviously he or she didn’t get that way by being idle. One of
the key components of being a good athlete is strength training.
They need to have ability, but they also need strength and an
endurance.

If you have ever done any strength training, you know that you
can reach a point where you wonder if you can continue. Those
who want to improve will try to ‘push through’ those times of
strain. However, there are times when they need some training
instructor to give them new ways of increasing their strength,
and to encourage them to keep going, even when it gets tough.

For quite awhile David had been fleeing Saul’s attempts to
harm him; at the same time, he had also been fighting the
enemies of Israel.

Finally he came home to a devastating situation. The city where he
and his men lived (Ziglag) had been destroyed by fire, and the women
and children had been taken captive. We can see the impact it had on
David and the men,
    So David and his men wept aloud
    until they had no strength left to weep.
    (1 Samuel 30:4)

Adding to his misery, the men were talking about stoning David.
Why would they do this? They were upset about what happened
to their sons and daughters. (Isn’t that typical? When bad things
happen, people often want to blame someone.) As long as we keep
looking for someone else to blame, we will never be able to cope
with the real issues of our own weaknesses.

David must have felt he was at wit’s end. He was physically and
emotionally drained. How did David react to this situation? We
need to look at where he went to get strength and re-energized.
Did he go to a friend? Did he go to an advisor? Did he go to a
counselor? Did he go to an elder of the church? No, he went to
the Lord! Why? Because he knew that was where he would find
strength he needed. That was his best and most effective option.

The same is true for us, we can find strength in the Lord by:
Reading His Word.
    The Bible tells us of His love for us,
    His promises given to us, and His instructions to us.

Turning to Him in prayer.
    God is ready to help us through our troubles, however some
    seem to want to hold on to them. We need to pray and trust
    the Lord to help us in our times of need.

Turning to His people.
    Throughout Saul’s attempts to kill David, Jonathan (Saul’s son)
    encouraged David and helped to protect him because of his love
    for him. Our Christian friends who are unselfish can do the same
    for us. They can remind us of God’s promises, teach us from God’s
    Word, and pray intercessory prayers for us.

Do you have a friend (a close one, or even one who is not that close)
who you know prays for you often. Don’t take for granted their
special efforts to pray for your well-being. Remember that God
has given them a desire to pray for others and realize that when
they are praying for you, they are fulfilling what God has asked
of them; He has given them a desire and commitment to pray for
you.

Be thankful for the intercessory prayers of friends like that.
You can encourage them by expressing your appreciation to them
for praying for you! And, remember that as followers of Christ,
we are also called on to pray and encourage others. We should
ask ourselves,
    “What do I do or say to encourage others,
      and what do I do or say that discourages them?”

Whenever we need strength, we shouldn’t try to regain it ourselves;
instead we need to turn to the Lord. David was faced with a type of
unbelievable, ‘strength draining’ situation that included emotional
upheaval and threats on his life.

He showed us that there is only one option – which is to turn to the
Lord. We need to pray, read His Word, ask friends to pray for us,
and trust the Lord. He strengthened David, and He will do the same
for us.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me for bypassing You in
my efforts to resolve situations in my own life. You
see the ‘big picture’ and You know what is needed
in all situations. Remind me that when I try to resolve
issues in my own strength, I am not depending on You
for my needs, and am instead becoming independent,
which is a type of rebellion against You. You do not
need my help in anything, but You do desire my faith
and dependence on You. You even sent me the Holy
Spirit when You saved me, so that I would have an
advocate to assist me in navigating the challenges of
life as You mold me into the type of person You want
me to be. Thank You for loving me so much that You
have a desire to help me through the challenges I have
in this earthly life. You are omnipotent and I am not, so
You can be trusted at all times. Increase my faith so that
I will trust You more. Thank You for the ones You have
sent to encourage me during times of despair, and remind
me that You have also sent me to encourage others who
are hurting.”

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