1 Samuel 30:6-8 - 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. And David said to Abi'athar the priest, the
son of Ahim'elech, "Bring me the ephod." So Abi'athar brought the
ephod to David. And David inquired of
the LORD, "Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?" He
answered him, "Pursue; for you shall surely overtake and shall surely
rescue."
David and his men returned to Ziklag to find the town
completely burned to the ground. The
Amalekites had come while they were off to battle and destroyed the town….and
after they had plundered the town….they took all the women …children…and
livestock captive. David’s men were so
bitter that they thought of stoning him…blaming him for the loss of their families
and possessions.
Even though David was distressed… he strengthened himself in
the Lord…turned away the temptation to be bitter and have a pity party….and
sent for the ephod that held the urim and thurmin. Then he asked the Lord what he should do….and
gladly set feet to God’s directions. He and his men went to defeat the men who
took their families…and brought them back home.
Tragedy has a way of focusing your brain on the hurt you
feel. And then satan grabs that small
seed of bitterness and anger…and tries to explode it in your soul. He wants you to turn from God and blame him
for your loss. Satan wants you to hate God so much that you stay confined in
your bitterness… useless to God and his plan for the rest of your life. And
sadly… most of us act just like David’s men…and let the bitterness turn us into
people of hate…blaming anyone that we can find for our pain… locked in a
lifelong pity party that hides our eyes form the one person who can show us the
way out of our pain.
But David modeled for us how to keep that seed of bitterness
in check ….by turning to the only one who can help us when life throws those
huge curveballs that devastate our soul.
His pain ….was seared into the heart that was just like his father…and
it remembered the comfort he had once felt in those fields with the sheep. David remembered the father above that had
the answered so many prayers before…and he sent for the urim and thurmin to
inquire of God what he should do.
There is a powerful comfort when you seek God as David
did. God fills the gaping hole in your
heart with his love…and even returns some of your joy in the process. I can
testify that David’s plan still works…for this story mirrors my own struggle
with the pain of loss. My urim and thurmin are his Bible ….prayer….and the
Christian friends he has placed around me to be my support. They have provided
for me a new purpose and helped me to let go of ‘some’ of my pain. The passion God
placed in my soul to learn more about his Bible…has kept the bitterness of
satan far away from my soul….and the tears that slip out of my eyes on random
occasions….continue to wash away the sadness and sorrow of my loss….and remind
me that only God’s love can fill the hole in my heart. Your tragedy becomes a blessing in disguise…that
shows you that nothing in your life was more important than the God who gave
you life.
Father…I thank you for the tragedies in my life that have
brought me closer to you than I ever knew was possible. Help me to recognize satan…the next time he
tries to trick me into a pity party… and pull out your Bible…and seek you in
prayer…so you can pull me closer to your side. Continue to wash away my tears
of sadness…and replace them with your will for my life…that gives it purpose …and
helps me understand the reason for my pain.
Amen.
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