1 Samuel 30:1-8
In chapter 29, the Philistines saw that David and his men were in town and ready to fight them. They talked among themselves and decided that they didn’t want anything to do with David. In chapter 29 and verse 4 they said, “…in the battle, he could be an adversary to us.” They recognized him as being ready to fight and to wage war on them and they turned down the fight.
Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag -- The Amalekite guerrillas seized the opportunity of the defenseless state of Ziklag to invade the southern territory.
So David and his men returned to the city of Ziklag and found out that the Amalekites had invaded them and taken everything that was precious to them. These weren’t any ordinary men that David had with him. These were the 400 men from 1 Sam 22 that were described as David’s “Mighty Men”. So these men were tough in battle. They knew what it meant to fight the enemy. But when they returned home, they found that the enemy had invaded them while they were out fighting another battle.
Isn’t that just like the enemy? When you think that he is backing down from one fight, he is really attacking you from a side that you didn’t know that he could attack you from.
Verse 4:
My text comes from this verse. David and his men started to weep. They cried until they had no more power to make tears. These men were so frustrated that they wanted justice right then, even if it meant stoning someone that had nothing to do with the problem. The men got together and talked among themselves and wanted to stone David.
So now David not only faces the problem of being stoned by the men he knows and loves, but he is also faced with the situation of possibly having lost everything that he loves.
But the Bible says that David encouraged himself in the Lord. It didn’t say that he got mad at the preacher, it didn’t say that he got fed up with everything and quit the church, but it said that he encouraged himself in the Lord.
I believe that’s the time and place when David realized that the Lord’s strength was made perfect in his time of weakness.
Who else but David could say, “Oh Lord, You have brought me through some pretty bad places in my life, and I believe that you can bring me out of this one!”
David said in one of his Psalms, “The Lord has turned my mourning into dancing.”
He was probably thinking about the time way back in the past when he lost everything, and everyone seemed to be against him, and nothing was going right for him and he remembered the tears that he cried until he couldn’t cry them no more.
He probably remembered when he got down on his knees and encouraged himself in the Lord and found a cure for his crying. That’s why he could say:
The Lord has turned my mourning into dancing
He has turned my sorrow into joy
He has turned my weakness into strength and my trial into a blessing
Let me tell you that God knows what you’re going through right now, He has seen the tears that you have cried and He is ready to give you the cure!
God told them to pursue and they would become victorious. Even though these men were probably tired of fighting and weak from battle they mounted up and began to pursue the victory that God would give them!
How many of you know that your victory is here tonight?
CLAIM YOUR VICTORY!
I know it’s hard to claim something that you cannot see. It’s easy for someone to tell someone else that’s in a trial that everything is going to be alright. But when you yourself can’t see any way out of it, it is sometimes hard to find the answer.
David and his men had no way of knowing that victory was just right around the corner. Verse 8 says that all they had to go on was the word of God. David asked God what to do, and God said that they were going to be victorious.
Yes, they were still in there situation. No, they had no visual proof that their victory was coming. But they knew the God of David had never let him down and that was enough for them!
Its time for someone to claim their victory here tonight! You’ve been fighting the Devil tooth and nail and have been crying inside the whole time. You’re ready for victory! Who is ready for the victory tonight? God said He saw the tears you have cried on your pillow at night, he has saw that you have fought a good fight, and now its time to claim your victory!
Victory in Jesus! My Savior forever, He sought me, and then He bought me, and He told me that He would turn my mourning into dancing!
The victory is here for you to take tonight. All you have to do is do what God wants you to do and that is pursuing it! Show God that you mean business with the thing that you have been fighting for so long and that you’re ready for victory!
