To Encourage You

1 Samuel 30:6 “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.”

Have you ever been in a situation where it seemed as though nobody could really help you – or perhaps nobody would even if they could?  Maybe you had sinned in some way, and as a result, severe consequences had come to your doorstep.  Perhaps you’d done something so bad that no one wanted anything to do with you. Your actions had made you an outcast.  Have you ever been in a place where those nearest to you – either physically or in terms of their relationship to you, had turned against you in some way – and you knew you deserved it?  If you have, then you know that it’s not a pretty picture. A situation such as this can put a person in great distress! 

Graciously, God has given us examples in His Word of others who have been there.  One such example is that of David in the account from 1 Samuel 30 above.  Here we have David bearing the consequences of his own foolish actions.  He had devised a plan to escape the persecution of King Saul by defecting to Israel’s enemies, the Philistines.  David had “leaned on his own understanding,” something that the Bible tells believers they should never do (Proverbs 3:5-6).  So, in the account above, the chickens had come home to roost.  First, the Philistine commanders had rejected David and his men.  They feared that David would defect back to King Saul and revolt against them – so they sent him away. Then, as David and his men returned to the city of Ziklag, where they had settled, they found that the Amalekites had ransacked the city, burned it to the ground, and kidnapped all the members of their families.  It was at this point that David’s men turned on him, threatening to kill him by stoning.  So here he was – alone, despised by everyone in his life, with no where to turn. 

So, what did he do?  He did a very wise thing: he encouraged himself in the Lord.  Notice that it says that he encouraged himself.  When no one else was there to encourage him, he speaks to himself – but he does so “in the Lord.” 

But how is this done?  And how can Christians today do such a thing if we find ourselves similarly down and out?  What if we’ve acted foolishly or sinfully in one way or another and brought great difficulty into our own lives or the lives of others? Maybe it was a foolish waste of money. Perhaps it was some shameful sin.  Maybe it was some failure in how we raised our children. Maybe it was harsh and angry words against our spouse.  Whatever the case (and who hasn’t been there) how does someone encourage himself or herself in the Lord? 

Well, for the believer, it is always by speaking words to ourself that are rooted in the Word of God.  They are the ultimate place one finds wisdom. They are a source of encouragement that comes to us directly from God.  We can begin with words of confession, for it’s in the confession of sin that the believer finds forgiveness by the wonderful grace of God. You see, our Lord has told us that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).  What more encouraging words have you ever read anywhere at any time?  Another word of encouragement from this One Whose mercies are new every morning and Whose faithfulness is so very great (Lamentations 3:22-23): “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).  What wonderful encouragement is such a promise. It’s a promise to those who may have failed in the past that a new way can start for them right here and right now. And then there’s the promise from our Savior that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). It’s a truth by which all believers can always encourage themselves in the Lord.  What great encouragement is found in the promises of God!  It’s surely by such things that David encouraged himself, and it’s something we can do to encourage ourself, as well.

Another thing: surely David could look back over his life to how God had been there for him in the past. Time after time God had delivered him, once from a lion, once from a bear, once from Goliath, and time after time from the hand of Saul.  Time after time God had met his needs – just as time after time He has also met ours.  He is a faithful God, a merciful God, a forgiving God, and a God who has promised to meet our every need. Our faithful God was there for us even when we proved faithless (2 Timothy 2:13). We can remind ourselves that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8), and further, that “he who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). 

And we can pray. We can talk to the God of the universe. We can talk to Him even when there is no one on earth that we can talk to. 

May God help us to often encourage ourself in the Lord.  It’s a great hope for the discouraged. It’s a great hope for any believer who finds himself or herself in a place of despair.  And may we thank God for the example of David, who could say from his own experience, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil, for you are with me.  your ROD and your staff comfort me” (Psalm 23:4), for David knew that the rod is wielded by One who disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6).