Jesu, juva
How David Strengthened Himself in the Lord
1 Samuel 30:6 — 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.
THE WORST DAY OF YOUR LIFE
David and his men return home after three days away. As they approach their city, they see smoke. Then they see the ruins. Every home is burned to the ground. Every wife is gone. Every child is missing. Taken by raiders.
The men collapse and weep until they have no strength left to weep. David has lost his two wives. The other men have lost their families. And in their grief and rage, they turn on David.
They want to stone him to death.
Think about that. David’s family is gone. His city is destroyed. And now his own men, the warriors who have fought beside him for years, are picking up rocks to kill him.
This is total catastrophe. Rock bottom doesn’t begin to describe it.
PICTURE THIS TODAY
You come home from work with your team. Every house on the street is ransacked. Every family member is gone, wives, children, all of them. You find a rival company’s symbol spray-painted on every door.
The questions hit you like hammer blows:
- Are they hurt?
- Where were they taken?
- Do they have food? Water?
- Are they even alive?
And while you’re processing this nightmare, your coworkers turn on you. They blame you. They threaten to kill you. Right there, in the middle of the worst moment of your life, the people who should have your back are plotting your murder.
What do you do?
THE MOMENT THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING
Here’s where most men would break. Here’s where panic, rage, or despair would take over. Here’s where the mind spirals into worst-case scenarios and the heart gives in to fear.
But not David.
David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
Read that again. He didn’t look to his men for encouragement, they wanted him dead. He didn’t look to his circumstances for hope, there was none. He didn’t wait for someone else to lift him up.
He strengthened himself.
In the moment when everything was against him, when the demonic oppression was crushing, when human support had evaporated, David went to God. Alone. And he came back with steel in his spine.
HOW DAVID DID IT
David didn’t pull this strength out of thin air. He had a history with God. Years of battles. Years of deliverance. Years of seeing God show up when everything looked impossible.
When Goliath mocked Israel, David remembered the lion and the bear God helped him kill. When Saul hunted him in the wilderness, David remembered God’s promise. When fear threatened to overwhelm him, David went back to the well of God’s faithfulness.
Every past victory became a building block.
Memory after memory stacked up: “God came through then. God came through then. God came through then.” Until those memories formed a foundation strong enough to stand on when the ground was shaking beneath his feet.
And in that moment of crisis, surrounded by chaos and betrayal, David’s spirit rose up and declared:
“GOD’S GOT THIS ONE TOO.”
THE CHOICE DAVID MADE
David had a choice in that moment. He could have:
- Given in to despair
- Turned on his men in self-defense
- Run away to save his own life
- Let fear paralyze him
Instead, he chose trust.
He chose to reject every nightmare scenario running through his mind. He chose to stand on the Word and faithfulness of God rather than the chaos of his circumstances. He chose to believe that the same God who had delivered him before would deliver him again.
And then he took action.
What Happened Next
After strengthening himself, David didn’t wallow. He inquired of the Lord: “Should I pursue them?”
God answered: “Pursue. You will overtake them and rescue everyone.”
David pursued. He overtook them. And he recovered everything, every wife, every child, every possession. Total victory.
But it all hinged on that moment when David chose to strengthen himself in the Lord.
YOUR VERSE 6
Every man will face his own “verse 6” moment. The moment when everything falls apart. When support vanishes. When circumstances scream defeat. When fear, worry, and worst-case scenarios flood your mind.
In that moment, you have the same choice David had.
Will you strengthen yourself in the Lord your God?
Here’s what that looks like:
- Remember God’s faithfulness. Go back through your history. Every time He showed up. Every time He provided. Every time He protected. Stack those memories like bricks.
- Reject the lies. Fear will tell you it’s over. Worry will paint nightmare scenarios. Reject them. Stand on the Word of God, not your feelings.
- Choose trust over panic. Your reality is not your circumstances. Your reality is a faithful Heavenly Father who has never failed you.
- Inquire of the Lord. After you’ve strengthened yourself, seek God’s direction. Then act on it with confidence.
BUILD YOUR FOUNDATION NOW
David could draw on God’s faithfulness because he had a history with God. He had built a foundation through years of humble obedience, years of seeking God, years of trusting when it didn’t make sense.
You can’t wait until the crisis hits to build that foundation. You build it now. Today. In the daily grind. In the small obediences. In the quiet moments of prayer and worship.
Every time you choose God’s will over your own, you’re laying a brick. Every time you obey when it’s hard, you’re laying a brick. Every time you worship in the valley, you’re laying a brick.
So when your “verse 6” moment comes, and it will come, you’ll have a foundation to stand on. You’ll have a history to draw from. You’ll be able to say with confidence:
“God’s got this one too.”
THE CHALLENGE
Will you be a man who strengthens himself in the Lord? Will you build that foundation now so you can stand when the storm hits? Will you choose trust over fear when everything falls apart?
The key is this: Live in humble obedience to God’s will and Word every single day. Build your history with Him. Stack the memories of His faithfulness. Then when your darkest hour comes, you won’t need anyone else to hold you up.
You’ll strengthen yourself in the Lord your God.
And you’ll stand.
Now go build that foundation.
Blane
SDG
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