EquippedMama

This year has been quite a time to be a Mama.

With so many decisions to make balanced with so many temptations to live in fear, it can be all too easy to turn to despair or distraction as the remedy to the constant onslaught of challenges. Pandemic. Social unrest. Elections. Perhaps in your family the results of these world events have left you underemployed, or facing giving birth alone, or finding out you are positive for an unpredictable virus.

In these circumstances, it is tempting to drown concerns with noise. Social media, movies, music, even friends can be the perceived solution to coping with this time of difficulty. However, in this season of change and unrest, grounding in the Word of God is crucial.

There are many individuals who are immortalized in Scripture for their faith-filled responses to crisis, but perhaps one of the most notable is David. The second half of 1 Samuel records the rapid-fire challenges that barraged the promised King of Israel.

After besting the champion of Israel’s enemies, (1 Samuel 17:50), David was appointed a leader for the King’s army (18:5) and given the King’s daughter as a wife (18:27). However, as David gained popularity, the King repeatedly attempted to take his life, resulting in David fleeing and living on the run.

For a time, David and his men sought sanctuary by living with the Philistines, one of the primary enemy nations of Israel. While living in this foreign land, David faced perhaps the most intense challenge. After returning from attempting to join an enemy raid, the Scripture reads that David and his men were met by a catastrophe:

When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken captive. ⁴ Then David and the men who were with him wept loudly until they could weep no more. ⁵ David’s two wives had been taken captive—Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, Nabal’s widow. ⁶ David was very upset, for the men were thinking of stoning him; each man grieved bitterly over his sons and daughters. But David drew strength from the Lord his God.

1 Samuel 3:3-6 NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

David was in a foreign land, surrounded by a band of severely upset men. His wives were gone: and he had no way of knowing if they were alive and whole. Completely distraught and facing murmurings of murder, David was in true crisis. Scripture’s commentary on David’s response is simple, yet so challenging.

David drew strength from the Lord his God (v. 6).

While we cannot know if any of the Psalms were written during this time, many of the Psalms echo the confidence demonstrated by David in response to threats of Death. One could imaging that Psalm 69, 70, and 71 could have been inspired by this challenging time- each begins with a strong plea for the Lord’s intervention regarding his immanent danger, but they each shift from a cry for mercy to a shout of praise. In each we see the heart of David- worshipping the Lord for the truth of who he knew Him to be.

These Psalms prove valuable resources for our own grounding in times of crisis. David was able to praise the Lord sincerely while facing crushing trials. The truths that David outlines in these three short Psalms are enough to fill a sermon-series, delighting on attributes of God that many of us forget even exist. David worships God for many truths, some of which being His loyal love and faithful deliverance (Psalm 69:13), being his helper (Psalm 70:5), His justice (Psalm 71:16) and His power (71:18).

David drew strength from the Lord his God because David knew the power of the God whom he was seeking. He knew God to be a god of power. He realized justice was part of his character. He understood the Lord to be mighty, worthy of worship, and capable of deliverance. When David was in a place of deep pain and personal threat of safety, he turned to the only reliable source of stability- His God.

What do you do with your crises?

Do you allow yourself to be overcome with emotion and look for someone to vent it upon- like David’s men? Do you seek to take matters into your own hands and strangle justice into what you perceive is right? Likely you are not as extreme as these men were with their emotions. But do you compulsively bring all your needs and requests to a girlfriend, spouse, or your social media feed?

In this season of chaos, take a cue from David’s life and prioritize drawing strength from the Lord. Let your triggers of anxiety be impetus for worshipping the God who is still Sovereign over the events of the world. Daily, take your requests to the One who is able to handle them, with thanksgiving and recognition of His power (Philippians 4:6). Spend time meditating on the Psalms of this godly man, allowing your heart to mull over the truths that encouraged him.

At a time where chaos runs rampant, take time to draw your strength from the One who can truly strengthen you.

This is where the rubber meets the road.

(Stay tuned… next post on practical applications).