Finding Strength in God

David found himself in the worst situation of his life when he returned from a journey. It was about sixty miles to his home of Ziklag, about a three-day march. When he and his men arrived, they found their homes had been raided and burned and their families and livestock gone (1 Sam 30:1). David deduced that their families had been taken alive because there were no signs of killing. He and his men wept aloud for their loss until they had no strength left (1 Sam 30:4).

The men blamed David for the situation and talked of stoning him. It had been David’s idea to leave Israel and live in Philistine territory. Maybe this whole idea had now backfired, and it had all ended in a disaster because of David.

In this moment of anxiety, David was greatly distressed, “But David found strength in the Lord his God” 1 Sam 30:6). This is an extraordinary statement that is relevant today. We, too, experience stressful situations, and it is these moments that we need to turn to the Lord for help.

David took advantage of the Priest, Abiathar, and the ephod to seek God’s guidance. We don’t know how the process worked, but it gave David guidance. It was used here as a means of asking the Lord about whether or not David and his men should pursue the raiders and whether or not they could find them. God’s answer came in the affirmative (1 Sam 30:7). David obeyed the Lord and pursued the raiders. He did not know who these raiders were, but he suspected they were the Amalekites, and he was right.

They had to be weary after a three-day march, and then to begin a forced march in pursuit of the enemy was too much for 200 of the 600 men. David left those men in the Besor Valley to rest and take care of their baggage (1 Sam 30:9).

God did not give David a detailed map of where to go, but he did send him someone who would lead them to the raiders. They found an Egyptian who had been left by his master and who was starving to death (1 Sam 30:11-12). He had been part of the raiding party, and with David’s promise that he would not be harmed, he led them to the enemy. They found the enemy celebrating their spoils and launched a surprise attack that lasted 24 hours. They recovered their families and much more.

When they returned to the other 200, some troublemakers among David’s men did not want to share spoils with them. They said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered” (1 Sam 30:22). David’s response was, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us” (1 Sam 30:23). The troublemakers’ view was we did this. On the contrary, David believed that God did this, and he has given us the spoils so they will be shared with each man. That is a view of grace. There is no room to boast.