1 Samuel 30:1-5 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.
3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.
4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
We’ve all had times when everything that could went wrong. The days we are living in now seem like we are in a tunnel with no light at the end – seems like there is no end. Just when we think things are going to turn around they do a 180 and we’re back in crisis again. The way we handle or perform during crises tells a little about our character. It reveals what we are made of. A crisis does not make us – it only reveals what is in us.
David and his men had a serious crisis – a disaster. They came back from being rejected for battle to find their city raided, burned and their families and possessions stolen. They all wept until they could weep no more and the men thought of stoning David. David encouraged himself in Jehovah – the all eternal One. We can learn from how David handled this crisis for the one(s) we enter.
David searched for God’s will -- He called for the priest 1 Sam 30:8 to seek guidance and discern God’s will and direction -- he sought a solution. His men were looking for someone to blame but David looked for someone with the answer. Others were acting out of emotions (fear, pain, anger, etc.), but David acted out of faith and in a spirit of truth. David could have sat down and pouted and blamed God or others for the situation. He could have rejected and blamed God for not protecting his family and the family of others, but he didn’t. David sought God, he knew he needed supernatural help and guidance beyond his human abilities – so do we.
David wasn’t overcome by the situation but he pursued with fewer men -- one third were unable to help. When one third of his men fell faint from exhaustion, David did not get angry and accuse, but he was compassionate to them. He allowed them to stay behind and guard the home front. Later he had compassion on a sick man. They found an Egyptian that was near death and they ministered to him. After he recovered he aided David and his men in locating the Amalekites who raided their city.
David kept his perspective to the end. All shared equally in the recovery. David knew whose victory it was – God’s. The men that went to battle held hard feelings against those who stayed behind and did not want to share the recovery with them, But David rejected this idea because he knew the victory was because of Jehovah’s help and intervention.
In similar situations -- Do we look to blame or seek a solution? Do we get overwhelmed/depressed in crises? Do we forget who it is that gives the victory and help? Remember, God is still on the throne and prayer changes things.