David had been on the run from King Saul for years. At the time of the scripture text above he had been sent away by the Philistines and returned to his home base at Ziklag with the men who had faithfully followed and fought with him. Upon their arrival they discovered that the city had been invaded by the Amalekites and they had burned the city and taken all their wives and children captive. The hearts' of David's men was so grieved that they cried until they could cry no more. Then they had thoughts of turning on David and stoning him.
David's heart was broken as well. But unlike the others he encouraged himself in the Lord in order to get through his time of pain and grief. The point this morning that I want to make is that we need to learn how to encourage our own selves. Why? Because there may be no one else there to encourage us. David's wives and children were gone-- he couldn't be comforted and encouraged by those he loved. His men had turned on him-- there was no encouragement there. Sometimes even if they are there, they are going through something themselves and can't offer you any encouragement, or they are preoccupied with what is going on in their own lives that they aren't even listening to what you are saying.
The key is to "encourage ourselves IN THE LORD". Many try to encourage themselves through various means. Some try to encourage themselves by going and buying something new. Some think that if they can just take a trip or go for a walk that will give them encouragement. Some seek encouragement through a bottle or pill. None of these bring the encouragement you need to get through your situation.
How do you encourage yourself in the Lord? You go to Him. You don't just simply give up and go sit in a corner, or hide your head under the cover, or run from God. You pray-- even though you may not feel like it. You renew your mind with His word and His promises. You meditate on what He has done for you in the past- His faithfulness. As you encourage yourself in Him you will be encouraged.
Have a great day. You have to learn to encourage your own self in the Lord, because there may be no one else there to encourage you.
For further reading:
1 Samuel 30
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge
No comments:
Post a Comment