DISCOURAGED? Deliverance may be just a day away

 

 

 

Hello!
Thank you for visiting my blog.

We all have days when we wish we could either start all over again,
(so we'd have a chance to avoid the mistakes we've made )
or we wish the day would just be over!

Today I'd like to share with you a word of encouragement for those tough days, when all seems to be going wrong.

If you are facing adversity in your personal life, or in ministry, this may help you stay strong and keep on going until your deliverance finally comes.

The following Scripture verses are from the book of 1 Samuel, and this account of the life of David before he became king of Israel spoke to my heart. It helped me realize how much David went through and how much he had to struggle just to stay alive; but through it all he kept his focus on God, did not despair, and became an overcomer.

After David killed Goliath and the Israelites started making him their star general, King Saul got jealous of him and started trying to kill him. David had helped deliver his people from their enemies and they loved him, but fame cost him dearly. In a short period of time he lost all he had: his position as General of the Army, his place of honor in the royal palace, his home, and even his wife, the king's daughter, all due to King Saul's jealousy.

David spent years running for his life, hiding in caves in the wilderness, and going from place to place trying to avoid Saul and his army, who kept getting tipped off about David's location.

The pursuit went from David's house, to Ramah, to Naioth, to Nob, to Gath ( the town Goliath was from) that didn't go well, so he fled to Adullam and to Mizpah, to Keilah, to the Desert of Ziph, but again, the Ziphites went to Saul and told him of David's hiding place, so David fled to find refuge with the Philistines at Ziklag.

(1 Samuel 27:1-7 )

While David is at Ziklag, the Philistines go and attack the Israelites. At first David and his men had volunteered to go and fight with the Philistines against Israel, but on their way to the battle ground, the chiefs of the Philistines convince their King to send David back, to avoid having David turn on them in the middle of the battle.

David goes back to Ziklag only to find that his town had been raided, all their wives and children taken captive, all their belongings carried away, and all their houses burned. This would have been enough to discourage even the strongest, most spiritual believer! But David doesn't give up, he inquires of the Lord, gets the okayto go fight the Amalekites and take it all back, and he succeeds. A few days later he finds out that the Philistines had won the battle against the Israelites, and that Saul was dead.

"After this David inquired of The Lord, "Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?" And The Lord said to him, "Go up." David said, "To which shall I go up?" And He said, "To Hebron." So David went up there, .........and they dwelt in the towns of Hebron. And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah." (2 Samuel 2:1-4 RSV)

David had been anointed by Samuel to be king some 15 years prior to this point, but he didn't get his crown, nor his place of honor over night. Neither did he get there without a fight.

It would have been much easier for David if Saul had just stepped down from the throne and let David take the place God had given him, but it's not always that easy, especially when it comes to God raising His people up to a place of authority. Our enemy will try to hold on to his throne in the hearts of men and won't give up without a fight.

So there's David, anointed to be king but running for his life. It took him 10 tries, 10 different hiding places, the last being right in the middle of the Philistines at Ziklag, until deliverance came. He had gone from great (after killing Goliath), to good, to bad, to worse, to worst possible. There was no lower place for him to go than finding refuge at his enemy's side.

But although Ziklag was the lowest point for David, especially after it got raided by the Amalekites, it was also the last stop before the victory. David didn't give up, he kept a pure heart towards the Lord, and kept pressing on even in the lowest low. And that's when his deliverance came, that's when his biggest enemy was moved out of the way, and he was able to return to his city and take possession of what was rightfully his, the throne.

It took a while, it took suffering, prayer, determination, and endurance, but the lowest point of Ziklag was just a few days before the crown of Judah. Had he given up at Ziklag, Judah may have never become a reality.

With all his mistakes and sins, the Bible still describes David as a man after God's own heart. Victory wasn't easy or fast for this anointed man of God. The Lord had some training to do in David's life before he could lead God's people as king. It is possible that victory might have come sooner had David made less mistakes and sought God more before every one of his decisions. He did make some poor choices which may have cost him extra training time, extra battles, extra suffering. But in the end, he kept God number one in his heart, and that's why he was a man after God's own heart. That’s the reason God raised him up, that’s why he got his crown.

It is my prayer that this will encourage you to hold on to God in the midst of your time of trials and testing. Do not give up. In due time, if you are a person after God’s own heart, He will raise you up.


Life is NOT easy, but if you've placed your trust on Jesus, and have given Him your heart, then He is in control of all the circumstances of your life. Therefore, when trials come the best course of action is:
PRAY,
TRUST HIM TO TAKE CARE OF IT,
AND DON'T LET THE ENEMY BRING FEAR AND DOUBT INTO YOUR HEART.
God has promised to bring deliverance to His people,

Psalm 32:7 (NIV)

You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.

2 Samuel 22:2 (NIV)

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

2 Timothy 4:18 (NIV)

The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

His Word says it, we believe it, and that settles it!
Be Blessed and Encouraged.
In Christ,
ServingHim