God is Sovereign on the "bad days"

“And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 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.” (1Sam 30:3-6 ESV)

Someone has said that there are some days that it is not worth getting out of bed. If David had such days, surely the ones described in 1 Samuel chapters 29-30 had to be some of them.

In his effort to escape Saul, David went into the land of the Philistines. It would appear that he actually was on friendly, and comfortable terms with them. So much so, that he was prepared to fight along side them against the nation of Israel! It would appear to me that David's willingness to fight with the Lord's enemies against the Lord's people was indicative of David's spiritual condition. He was not trusting the Lord, but in a backslidden condition. The fact that He left his family in a vulnerable position is also indicative of his not thinking clearly and correctly.

In such a state, God could have just allowed him to go the way he wanted to go, but the Lord had other plans. I am so glad that God doesn't just let us go! He works many times against our will to bring us back to where we need to be. In this case He used the distrust and the lords of the Philistines to thrust David back where he needed to be.

It was a good thing that David and his men came back to Ziklag when they did. The Amalakites had come and burned the city and took both David's and all of the families of the men with David hostage. Wow, you talk about hard times! They wept and his men were on the verge of stoning him! But David turned back to the Lord: "But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.”

David's turning back to the Lord was a turning point in his situation! He received assurance from the Lord that he would recover all! He not only recovered his family, their belongs, and that of the men that were with him, but a bunch of spoil as well!

No wonder he wrote:“I was pushed hard,* so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the LORDdoes valiantly, the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORDdoes valiantly!” I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death.” (Psa 118:13-18 ESV)

"Father, thank you for working against our will, when we are living against yours. Thank you for bringing us to the place where we are trusting you, and then delivering us from our enemies. Help us to rest in your sovereignty even during the bad times. May we endure your discipline, and grow from it." In Jesus Name I Pray!