David’s circumstances are pretty bleak near the end of I Samuel.  Yet in spite of the pressure, we see his example as a “man after God’s own heart” shining brightly.  In chapter 19, King Saul’s hostility toward David took the form of actual attacks and death threats.  David has been fleeing since then and, despite two merciful acts of sparing Saul’s life, David finds no respite.  In fact, the pressure of Saul’s hunt causes David to flee to Philistia (Israel’s enemies) with his rag-tag band of soldiers.  There David repeatedly proves his reliability and fighting ability by defending Philistia’s cities and defeating her enemies for almost a year and a half!

In I Sam. 28, the Philistine armies prepare to wage war against King Saul and Israel’s army.  David and his men prepare as well, but the Philistine lords do not trust them in battle (“Send the man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here?” I Sam 29.4).  In the face of being mistrusted, David and his men return home to Ziklag and find that it has been raided, looted and burned.  Their wives and children are all captives to the marauding Amalekites.  David had (in worldly estimation) plenty of cause for discouragement and bitterness.  In fact, the men around him (who had just lost their wives and children as well) were “bitter in soul” and on the brink of stoning David (I Sam. 30.6).

It is no wonder that “David was greatly distressed” at this point!  But it is precisely now when God’s grace shines brightly through David!  In the midst of rejection, great personal loss and death threats, “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (I Sam. 30.6).

Now, we’re not surrounded by Philistines, Amalekites or rag-tag soldier bands today.  But when we hear phrases like “high pressure,” “under a lot of stress” and “up against the wall,” we can quickly identify things in our lives that make us feel that way!  Perhaps like David, we can even point our fingers at specific instances of mistreatment and injustice that have put us between the rock and the hard place.  It may even be that we are surrounded by bitter people and the draw to be bitter right back at them is very strong.  This is where we need to turn to God for the same grace that David evidenced in I Sam. 30.6.  Not bitter, not angry, not suicidal, not short or snappish, “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”

What does this “strengthening” look like?  David gets up, seeks God’s will through a spiritual leader and leads his men in faith to regain their families.  Confronted with problem after problem, David turns to God for strength: he finds God’s direction and goes to do it in faith!  By God’s grace, may we do the same!