Today's devotion is from 1 Samuel 30:6 (AMPC)
David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him because the souls of them all were bitterly grieved, each man for his sons and daughters. But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
When circumstances and spiritual opposition start sapping your strength… strengthen and encourage yourself in the Lord!
David knew how to stay strong in the Lord in the face of great tribulation…
Even though he was loyal to King Saul, Saul was deceived by the devil and was convinced that David was a threat to him. He pursued David for years and was determined to kill him. David and his mighty men had to hide in caves and lived in constant danger of loosing their lives. In spite of this, David stayed STRONG in the Lord. He refused to let the devil steal his destiny by becoming embittered and weakened by tribulation.
How did David strengthen and encourage Himself in the Lord?
One of the main things that David did is that he continually meditated on the Word of God. David shares his secret on how to stay strong in the very first two verses in the book of Psalms…
‘Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example], nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of [scoffers (ridiculers). But his delight is in the law [the word] of the Lord, and on His law [His Word, precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night. - Psalm 1:1-2 (AMP)
As you meditate upon the Word of God, strength, courage and spiritual stamina will begin to flow into your inner most being…
Take some time to meditate on the living, powerful, life-giving Word today and the strength, anointing and the Power of the Holy Ghost will rise up in you. With Divine strength, your test will become a testimony, your battle will become a victory and your trial will become a triumph, in Jesus Name!
In the book of Ephesians 6:10 (AMP) Paul admonishes the church to be STRONG!
'Be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might.'
One of the biggest targets of the enemy is our strength!
The enemy knows that if he can steal our joy, our peace and our strength, he can steal our fire, our drive and our promised destiny. A weak, discouraged and disheartened believer tends to focus on his or her wounds rather than focusing on the vision and the call.
Faith and hope are hard to find when you are shaken. Family, we simply have to do whatever it takes to maintain our strength, our joy in believing, our hope and our courage… our future, our breakthrough and our destiny and the destiny of others depend upon it!
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning!
David’s greatest time of testing came less than a week before he was to become king… the Amalekites had invaded Ziklag, burned it with fire, and captured, the women, children and the others who were there while David and his mighty men were away. David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
David did not know this at the time, but his promise of becoming king was less than one week away.
The devil struck his hardest, most devastating blow in an attempt to discourage David and steal his joy, his strength, his hope, his faith and his destiny right before David’s greatest triumph.
‘David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him because the souls of them all were bitterly grieved, each man for his sons and daughters. But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God.’- 1 Samuel 30:6
In one day David and his mighty men had there wives and children back, they were loaded down with the spoil and the riches of their enemy, and in less than a week, David was crowned King of Judah!
Draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him.
Draw close to the Lord through His WORD, through WORSHIP and through FELLOWSHIP.
David did not allow himself to be defeated. He strengthened and encouraged himself in the Lord. He drew strength from the Lord and was empowered through his union with Him. He took the time to press into the Lord, meditate upon His Word, worship Him and fellowship with Him, and as he did, he drew strength from the Lord; he rose up, washed his face and led his followers into their divine destiny!