When confronted with difficult circumstances and seemingly impossible situations,
we often feel helpless. I have experienced timeslike that, and I imagine you have too-or you will. - P145
And it is in suchtimes that we should ask ourselves an important question: How big ismy God? When the apostle Paul shared with the Corinthian churchabout his "thorn in the flesh" (2 Cor. 12:7), he concluded by tellinghis fellow believers that God taught him a valuable lesson throughhis painful experience: "When I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor.12:10). - P145
Could it be that during those times when we are feeling overwhelmed,
God is trying to teach us a similar lesson? Perhaps we needto say to ourselves, "When I am small, God is big!" - P145
"I got to see, once and for all,
that being small isn‘t so bad after all."
When we feel small, it is God‘s way of reminding us how big He is.
- P145
And in our smallness, we learn to lean on Him, to trust Him to leadus through the valleys, help us overcome the dangers, and bring usto green pastures and still waters. - P145
So, remember: being small isn‘t sobad after all! - P145
[NIV] 1 David and his men reached Ziklag on the thirdday. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev andZiklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, 2 andhad taken captive the women and everyone else in it,bothyoung and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off
as they went on their way. - P146
7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son ofAhimelek, "Bring me the ephod." Abiathar brought itto him, 8 and David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pur-sue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" "Pursuethem," he answered. "You will certainly overtake themand succeed in the rescue." 9 David and the six hundredmen with him came to the Besor Valley, where somestayed behind. - P146
13 David asked him, "Who do you belong to? Wheredo you come from?" He said, "I am an Egyptian, theslave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me whenI became ill three days ago.
14 We raided the Negev of the Kerethites, some territorybelonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb. And weburned Ziklag."
- P147
15 David asked him, "Can you lead me down to thisraiding party?" He answered, "Swear to me before Godthat you will not kill me or hand me over to my master,
and I will take you down to them." - P147
David and his men reach Ziklag and find it destroyed by the Amalekites, withall the people taken captive. David is greatly distressed because his men areangry at him, but he finds strength in God. - P147
David inquires of the Lord, who tellshim to pursue the Amalekites. David finds an Egyptian slave of an Amalekiteand asks him to lead them to the raiding party. - P147
Leadership is tested under stressful conditions. - P148
Finding their villageburned to the ground and their loved ones taken captive by the Amalekites, David and his men
are overcome with grief. - P148
The men blameDavid for this disaster and even threaten to stone him to death. In spiteof his own grief, mixed together with fear for his life, David responds inthe true fashion of a godly leader-he turns to the Lord. - P148
His decision topursue the Amalekites is not based on his personal feelings but on thewords of God. - P148
It is easy to allow emotions to rule our decisions, but wemust never forget that Christ is the Lord of our emotions, and it is Hiswill we must seek in times of trial. - P148
"Regardless of how many times in a week we may attend church or read ourBibles, personal prayer is absolutely vital to our growth in trust and holiness."
- Elisabeth Elliot - P148
Pursuing the Amalekite raiding party is no easy feat. Two hundred ofDavid‘s men are overwhelmed by exhaustion. In addition to this, thetrail of their enemies has gone cold. - P148
But God points the way througha sick and abandoned Egyptian slave. David‘s kindness to this man isrewarded when he agrees to lead his men to the camp of the Amalekites.
- P148
We never know what people or circumstances God will use to guide usin our lives. But, like David, as we treat everyone we encounter with ckindness and respect, we will discover God‘s leadership in places andpeople we never imagined. - P148
We must learn to keep our eyes and earsopen to God‘s Spirit as He leads. - P148
Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to master my emotions. - P149
May my actions be areflection of the leadership of Your Holy Spirit. - P149
Even now, Lord, I pause andtake time to reflect on Your wisdom and ways for my life. In Your name, amen. - P149
18 David recovered everything the Amalekites hadtaken, including his two wives.
19 Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else
they had taken. David brought
everything back. - P150
22 But all the evil men and troublemakers among Da-vid‘s followers said, "Because they did not go out withus, we will not share with them the plunder we recov-ered. However, each man may take his wife and childrenand go."
23 David replied, "No, my brothers, you must not dothat with what the LORD has given us. He has protectedus and delivered into our hands the raiding party thatcame against us. 24 Who will listen to what you say? Theshare of the man who stayed with the supplies is to bethe same as that of him who went down to the battle.
All will share alike." - P151
25 David made this a statute and ordinance for Israelfrom that day to this. 26 When David reached Ziklag,
he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, whowere his friends, saying, "Here is a gift for you from theplunder of the LORD‘s enemies." - P151
The Egyptian slave leads David to the Amalekites, who are reveling in theirvictory. David fights them and recovers everything they had taken. - P151
Whensome of his men do not want to share the plunder with the men who did notfollow them into battle, David says they must not do that with what the Lordhas given them. David shares his plunder with the people. - P151
David is spared death after leading his men into battle against the Amalekites
and rescuing their loved ones. "This is David‘s plunder" is theresponse of the men to the victory. - P152
However, some among them areopposed to sharing David‘s plunder with those who had been too exhausted to join in the fight. - P152
But David exercises godly wisdom whenhe credits the Lord with the victory and establishes what will become alaw in Israel: all will share in the blessings of God‘s victories. - P152
Whateverour victories may be, the glory always belongs to God. - P152
God uses eachone of us to accomplish His will, and we must repent of any attitudesor behavior that expresses anything different. - P152
This passage serves as a fitting conclusion to this chapter of David‘sstory. It demonstrates God‘s watchful care over the lives of His people.
- P152
Although David had taken refuge among the Philistines, he is sparedfrom being perceived as an enemy by the Israelites. - P152
David‘s gifts to theelders of Judah "from the plunder of the LORD‘s enemies" serve to establish his integrity and leadership
as Israel‘s future king. - P152
He indeed makesa wise decision and sets a good precedent for the days to come, but wemust never lose sight of the fact that it is God who has led David outof a time of potential disaster to this triumph. - P152
When we face times oftesting, we can be certain of God‘s watchful care over our lives. - P152
"In the midst of the struggles and the storms and the sufferings of life, we canadvance our thoughts beyond today and see relief... triumph... victory.
Because in the end, God does indeed win." - Charles Swindoll - P152
Father God, may the trials and suffering in my life teach me to trust You. - P153
Helpme to see my trials not as obstacles but as opportunities to grow in wisdom,
grace, and the indomitable hope found in Your Son. In His name, amen. - P153
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