David strengthened Himself in the LORD His God

1 Samuel 29-31

Talk about having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day! David and his band of 600 men definitely had one of them there days. They had been "out of town on business" as we might say and when they got back to their "home town" look at what they found.

1 Samuel 30:3–6 (NASB95)

³ When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. ⁴ Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep. ⁵ Now David’s two wives had been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. ⁶ Moreover David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters."

Can you imagine the agony David was experiencing. He had just discovered his family had all been kidnapped by the wicked Amalekites along with the families of all his men. On top of all that anguish, his own men decided to take out their frustration on him by stoning him to death. Yeah like stoning their leader is gonna get their families back. This is one of those examples in David's life where we truly see "a man after God's own heart," because it says, "...But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God."

Are you having a bad day or can you remember one? Is it as bad as the day David was having? Thankfully regardless of just how bad or good a day we are having, David's example is for us all. Today in Christ we can definitely strengthen ourselves in the LORD our God. The very strength that God Almighty exerted when He raised Jesus from the dead is available to us today. And just as David went on that day (I challenge you to read it for yourself) to defeat the enemies of the LORD and experience the victory of God, all who know Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior have available to them the same Almighty God, His Holy Spirit, the Presence of Jesus Christ to give them victory.

Oh LORD forgive me for the days I have lived as though this were not true. Fill me with your Spirit today to Practice the Presence of Jesus and truly live out this truth today and every day. By faith I choose to strengthen myself in the LORD my God. I love you LORD! Amen!

New Testament verse for the day...

Luke 22:19–20 (NASB95)

¹⁹ And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” ²⁰ And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.

Let us all "Celebrate the Feast" today. (1Cor. 5:8)