24 Apr Joy Is Coming

This week we are going back to 1 Samuel 30. David discovers that his family and possessions had been taken by the enemy, verse 4 reads:

“Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.”

There is a place in grief where there are no more tears to shed.

One of David’s wives that was taken away was Abigail. Abigail’s name means “my Father’s joy”. This is a symbol of what happened to David emotionally. David’s joy was taken and he was in great distress.

Some of us need our joy returned.

Great distress is beyond depression. David was in despair, heartbroken and he did not know where to turn. His mighty men in their grief, turned against him and wanted to kill him. It is really interesting that in the time of your greatest crisis those you think would stand with you sometimes want to stone you. But we know that hurt people, hurt people. His team was hurt and in distress as well due to their losses and in their pain blamed their leader instead of the real enemy. We need to be careful that in our distress we go to God rather than take out our pain on those around us.

David takes an interesting posture. He decides to take a stand alone since at this point, no one is willing to stand with him.

When you come to the place where you have no one to turn to, you learn an important life lesson… how to truly lean on God. It’s Him you want to go to first, not last. It’s God who has the solution, not man. Although it is Biblical to get advice from wise men and women in Christ, we need to be in the habit of seeking Him first. So David goes to God and in verse 6, the Bible says that David strengthened himself in the Lord.

Which gives us an important life lesson. One of the things we need to be careful of is looking to others to be our strength, our source, our joy, etc. Looking to another human being to provide those things for us is natural because it is someone we can see, but it puts us in a place where our needs cannot and will not be fully met.

Only God can fill us with what we are looking for.

He is our source and when we allow Him to be that in our hearts and minds, we will find that we become much healthier people.

You can strengthen your own spirit man, strengthen your own worship life, strengthen your time with the Lord. You do this by leaning on God in prayer, through the Word and building your relationship with Him.

Pastor Nellie Roberts says “Make yourself happy.” This falls along the same lines. No one can be your answer, people fail, but God never does. So when you decide that He is your answer for every area of your life, you will find strength, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control.

The Lord gave David the answer that day. He also turned the hearts of his men to go to war with him. The solution came and David and his men saw everything that was taken returned to them.

Even in your distress, pain, depression, confusion and grief, God is there. Turn your heart toward Him and allow Him to become the answer for you. Then you will find the healing your heart and mind long for and your solution will come.

God’s love sets you free!

“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.

Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” John 16:24