DIY

One of the many things that gives the Bible credibility is that the Bible is honest. It tells us the highs and the lows, the good and the bad about the heroes whose lives it records. It also makes it clear that you can love God faithfully yet still might have to deal with the pains, difficulties and trauma of our human existence.

David was a real man who had genuine struggles. He was faithful but sinful. He was a man who walked through dark days and deep valleys. Yet his relationship with God was intense and intimate.

David pursued God. Like a footballer goes for goal, like a runner goes for the finish line, like an athlete goes for gold, like a tennis player goes for the grand slam, like a F1 driver goes for the podium. What I am trying to say is, he pursued God. He studied God, he was a connoisseur of God, he led the field in expertise of God.

He was not ashamed to express how he felt about God; he understood who God was. God had made him, what he knew, God had taught him, and where he was going, God would take him

In 1 Samuel chapter 30 we come to one of the lowest points in David's life. He was in a real dilemma. A dilemma is when you find yourself in a set of circumstances that seem hopeless. Everywhere you look, whichever way you turn there is trouble. That's where David is in 1 Samuel chapter 30. For 15 years at this point he's been running and hiding from King Saul who hunted him as though he was a wild animal.

Saul's insecurities had got the better of him. He is in a privileged position but has forgotten that it is by the grace of God that he is King. Now he wasn’t humble enough to mentor the one God was replacing him with.

The problem came to a head because the women sang and danced to the lyrics of the number one hit song of the day. Saul has slain his thousands, but David has slain his tens of thousands. Saul’s attempts to kill David had failed.

It turns out you can make many plans, but the purpose of the Lord will prevail. (Prov 19:21) No demon or devil no man or woman no institution or politician no false religion, no apathy amongst Christians no circumstance will be able to stop what God has planned. If you are ever oppressed, abused or persecuted or laughed at for your faith in God, those who do it are taking on God not just you. So, take comfort. Do not give up.

Now, David’s response is to join the Philistines having been persecuted by God’s people is to take refuge with those who persecute God’s people.

Have you ever wondered when people stop attending our meetings where they go. Where do they spend their time and who with? I guarantee as friendly as the world seems when you feel low about your faith. As awful and as wrong as it is when we upset each other, those who are not for God are against Him. Things were bad for David, but he made a bad choice when dealing with it. If you become dissatisfied with the church do not align yourself with unbelievers, you will end up losing your salvation. David could have lost his life. This is a picture for us to learn from.

The Philistines gave David a lovely outpost city called Ziklag. That could make you think you made a good choice, wouldn’t it? Finally, after 15 years David and his men have a place to call home. But wouldn't you know it the Philistines are now going to wage war against Israel. David has put himself in a situation where he has a decision to make. To keep what he has got he must now join with the Philistines and fight against the people of God.

However, the Lords of the Philistines noticed David and his men at the rear guard of their army so they say to Akish, David can't fight with us, what if he reconciles with Saul. He might try to prove his loyalty and allegiance by turning on us. So, David and his 600 men are sent back home to Ziklag.

Saul is trying to kill him, the Philistines don't trust him, but at least David have his 600 men by his side. When they get back home to Ziklag David is faced with another dilemma. Ziklag has been ransacked by some enemy. The city has been burned down, his wives and his children and those of his men have been taken captive. They can only imagine what’s happening to them.

Life eh? Who can understand it? As soon as you have made peace with one disappointment, along comes another. As you have come through one storm here comes another. As soon as you are on top of one tragedy here comes another.

The apostle Paul says we are troubled on every side we are stressed we are perplexed we are persecuted. Life will beat you up, knock you down wrestle you around and overwhelm you.

A cherished relationship has been burned with fire, your marriage has been burned with fire, your finances have been captive to bills and your bills get married and have babies and produce more bills and your income cannot keep up. Your mind is taken captive by anxiety, taken captive by depression. Your physical health is taken captive by sickness, and it wouldn’t surprise me if someone here this morning can relate to David.

What are you going to do about it? Did David choose pity or power? When life happens to you, not if, when, what path will you as a child of God choose to deal with it?

David is in a dilemma, and it is stressful. All David and his men can do when they find their families have been taken away and everything has been burned down is weep. They cry so much, and it is so intense they eventually don’t even have the strength to cry anymore.

There are times in your life when all you can do is lament and cry and express yourself with tears. Do not let anybody tell you, you are a weak Christian when you are faced with such a situation. We are told in the Bible to weep with those who weep, so it is assumed there will be times in our life when a little rain is going to fall. There are times when you will need to cry, and sometimes your tears and sobs will be so intense until all you can do after you've cried is lay down and have a nap.

The same people who trusted David’s leadership have now turned on him. The same people who were loyal followers are now talking about stoning him. These are the same men who when David met them were in debt, they were in distress, they were down in the dumps. The only success they ever knew, the only value they ever felt came from David. Now these men have turned on him and are ready to stone him. When we don't know who else to blame for all the trauma and drama and the issues in our lives we blame the most vulnerable people in our life, that is our loved ones.

Have you ever been on the receiving end of that? All you tried to do was be loving, all you tried to do was give yourself to your loved ones. All you tried to do was be faithful in your relationships and as soon as life got difficult they were the very ones who turned on you. If you don’t believe me read the story of Jesus. Consider what is happening to David. Maybe you can speak to it.

If we could ask those who were going to stone David, are you really going to stone him? David the only one who believed in you, David the one who brought you the only success you've ever known you're going to stone David. Yes, they say, if we hadn’t joined him we would be alright now.

Things had been going so well but now David has a dilemma that turns into utter distress.

As we sit here today with our halo’s polished and our Sunday best on, looking like everything is fine, on a Sunday here with the people we love worshipping God with. Isn’t it great when it is all going so well.

But let's be honest with each other. Sometimes life can hurt, sometimes life can wound, sometimes life can steal your joy. Did you ever have a day when it's hard just to get out of bed. Or times when it's hard to get to sleep at night, because you are in a dilemma which is causing you distress.

David is faced with another decision to make. He cried until he could cry no more. He can choose to complain, he can choose to give up. He could say I've tried and failed and I'm not going any further.

But that is not the decision David makes. Saul wants him dead, his new friends the Philistines don’t want him around, his city is burned to the ground, his wives and daughters and those of his men have been taken captive and now those men want to stone him dead. What does he do?

We read, say it with me: “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”

He did it himself, it was a do-it-yourself job. In the world’s eyes he had no one and nowhere to go. But with God he had somewhere to go and someone to turn to.

He brought God into his circumstances with that wonderful three letter word: “But”.

All these things were going on “But”. He was surrounded by trouble, “But”. Saul wanted him dead “but”. The Philistines didn’t want him around, “but”. His wives and children were kidnapped, “but”. His men blamed him and wanted him out of the way, “but”. Oh, the changes that come about whenever we read in the Bible, “But”.

Job in the Old Testament suffered terribly and never knew why. At the end of it all he said, “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;” It was terrible, but now I see God. You might be suffering now, but God will bring you through.

Habakkuk came to the conclusion that “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet (or but) I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength.

Maybe as you read this you know you have a “but God” story. What is it? What was your dilemma, “but God”. What caused you distress, “but God”? You have got a powerful and convincing story to tell. You are reading because there was a “but God” moment in your life. You have a story that is better than this blog. Maybe the thing that troubled you didn’t go away, but God did not go away either.

Maybe you are at a point in your life where you need a “but God” moment.

If I can just remember to put a, “but God” in my situation I know that he may not come when I want him to come, he might not answer when I want him to answer, he might not even do what I want him to do but if I can just drag myself into the presence of God, drag my broken self, drag my depleted exhausted self, drag my depressed self, drag my sick self into the presence of God he's able to do exceeding abundantly above all that I can ask or even imagine. That’s why we must pursue God like David did. Meet up with Christians, praise together, pray together, study together because who knows when you will receive your “but God” moment.

David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. I regret to inform you of this but there will be moments in your life when there will be no one around to help you. You were there for everybody else. Where are they now? You ran yourself ragged, trying to meet everybody else’s needs and everybody else's expectations then when you needed someone everyone disappeared. When the elders do not eld and the deacons do not deac or the teacher doesn’t inspire or the hymns are not the ones you like, or there is serious trouble in your life you might need at that moment to strengthen yourself in the Lord your God.

It isn’t always somebody else’s fault or responsibility. Your friends never would intend to purposely let you down, those you know want to be there for you. But maybe on a particular occasion they can't be there for you because they are struggling with their own loads, weighed down with their own burdens, they're besieged with their own trials. Give them a break and realise that every now and then you have got to do it yourself. You must strengthen yourself in the Lord your God.

A time might come when you need to grab yourself by the scruff of the neck, give yourself a good shaking, understand that things are bad, but you will strengthen yourself in the Lord your God.

Faith in God is proved in the furnace of affliction. David from time to time said the following things and we will do well to remember them: The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. The Lord is my light and my salvation who shall I fear. The Lord is the strength of my life of who shall I be afraid. I will bless the Lord at all times and his praise shall continually be in my mouth. I will lift my eyes unto the hills from whence comes my help where does my help come from? All of my help comes from the Lord.

If today you have not already put on the Lord Jesus Christ in baptism you will not find the help you need anywhere else. When there is nowhere else to turn you are left with God. If you are not a child of God then you do not even have Him. Decide today to allow God into your life and change you.

Those who are children of God, never give up what God bought for you with the precious blood of his son. The forgiveness of sin and eternal life with him. They cannot be found anywhere else. Even if others who should know better let you down. Don’t leave, don’t make friendships with unbelievers. If not giving up means you have got to do it yourself then be sure that whatever comes at you from within or without, do it yourself, strengthen yourself in the Lord your God.