First Word for May 2024

In 1 Samuel chapters 29-30, we see David at perhaps his lowest and darkest point. He had become a wandering outlaw, and because of Saul’s hostility, he had been driven to take refuge in the Philistines’ country. He had gathered around himself a group of desperate men.

The Philistines refused to allow David and his men to fight with them because they doubted their allegiance. At this point, David returns to home to Ziklag only to find the Amalekites had raided their city. 1 Sam 30:3 says, “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. Now his own band of men were talking about stoning him.”

Think for a bit about how low and dark that day was for David. Everything was gone: property, cattle, wives, children—all that remained was a pile of smoking rubble. It is at this moment, the lowest of lows, with literally nothing left except the clothes he is wearing and facing imminent death that we read this portion of verse 6, “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”

The full verse of 1 Samuel 30:6 reads: “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.”

Much can (and has) been written on this grand subject of strengthening yourself in God. I have been encouraged by Alexander MacLaren’s expositions on this. He points out that David went to HIS God. In the Psalms we see David writing, “My God, My God.” 

“Think, too, of the contrast of the thoughts and emotions suggested by ‘My God,’ and by ‘the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob.’ Great as that name is, it carries the mind away back into the past, and speaks of a historical relation in former days, which may or may not continue in all its tenderness and sweetness and power into the prosaic present. But when a man feels, not only ‘the God of Jacob is our Refuge,’ but, ‘the God of Jacob is my God,’ then the whole thing flashes up into new power.”

Alexander MacLaren

While there is much more to say about strengthening ourselves in the Lord, we must first move from vague thoughts of God to drawing near to “My God” whose hand has a grip on us and won’t let go.

We should remember that at the darkest moment for David, having lost all of his earthly hopes and possessions, and facing imminent death, his God moved powerfully and David and 600 of his men recovered everything including their families. Nothing was lost. Not only that, within 3 days Saul was killed and David was now King. It was hugely important that David strengthened himself in His God!

May we each enjoy the close relationship and awareness that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the God of Israel is Our God! 

- John Privett