The Lord Provides Encouragement

Feature 3 – November 2022 – Grace & Truth Magazine

The Lord Provides Encouragement From Himself

A very encouraging verse from the Old Testament is: “Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the L ORD his God” (1 Sam. 30:6 NKJV ). From it, two questions can be asked:

1. How did David get himself in such a difficult position?
2. How did David know to encourage himself in the LORD?

David’s journey to Ziklag, where he was almost stoned to death by a disheartened group of followers, commenced in Bethlehem when he was anointed king by the prophet Samuel (16:13). The fact that David knew to encourage himself in the Lord came from his intimate relationship with Him and the vast number of times the Lord had delivered him from various circumstances.

We may be discouraged often. Discouragement is expected to come from the world. The apostle Paul in his letter to Timothy stated, “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). Persecution naturally brings discouragement. The enemy of our souls, the Devil, constantly seeks to discourage believers (1 Pet. 5:8). He is a relentless foe. And let us not forget the enemy within, the flesh (Gal. 5:16-21).

Christians may be vigilant against the world, the flesh and the Devil, and yet become greatly discouraged from negative experiences in the assembly or challenging situations within the family. David found the answer; the same solution is available for us today: we must encourage ourselves in the Lord. The process is the same too. We can look back on all of the Lord’s faithfulness and believe that He will continue to encourage us, “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23).

The Present Predicament
Looking in 1 Samuel 29 we read how David and his men were dismissed from the Philistine army (vv.3-11). Praise the LORD! David was on the run from King Saul and had taken refuge among the enemies of Israel. The LORD removed him from such an ungodly alliance. It is not clear what David would have done if the LORD had not intervened. The princes of the Philistines were very concerned, as verse 4 says, “Make this fellow return, that he may go back to the place which you have appointed for him, and do not let him go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become our adversary. For with what could he reconcile himself to his master, if not with the heads of these men?”

Achish, the son of the king of Gath, had given David the city of Ziklag as a dwelling place. Upon the return of David and his men to that land, they discovered the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag. The region was burned, and their families and property were captured (30:1-3). The situation brought great discouragement: “Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep” (v.4).

Many believers have experienced overwhelming situations and have cried before the Lord. The Lord gave us emotions and understands when we grieve, but because believers have a hope, He tells us not to mourn like those who have no hope (1 Th. 4:13). The context of this verse is about believers who have died, but by application we are not to be discouraged beyond measure. We are to take courage in Christ.

David’s situation became worse; the grief turned to anger, and the people spoke of stoning him (1 Sam. 30:6). David was in the same predicament as the people – his wives were taken captive too. With no one to rely on, David strengthened and encouraged himself in the LORD. The Hebrew word here, chazaq, has a number of meanings. Among the definitions are: strengthen, help, take courage, fortify and cleave. When all goes wrong and there is no one to rely on, we too must strengthen ourselves in the Lord.

David also had experiences from which to draw. Scripture reveals how the LORD had delivered David from potentially catastrophic situations during his early life: the lion and the bear, Goliath, King Saul’s spears, the cave of Adullam, and the situation with Nabal. A great friend that the LORD used to help David was Jonathan. David could refer to any one of those experiences – all of them – to strengthen himself in the LORD. It is important for us to reflect on the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness during our times of discouragement.

The Past Protection From The Lion And The Bear
The fact that the LORD protected a young shepherd from a lion and a bear is beyond amazing. It left David with an indelible apprehension of the LORD’s love and power. Both the lion and the bear are of immense size and power. Both are predators. Both are apt killers, and David was just a young lad. He was engaged in close combat with the lion and the bear. We read: He caught the beast “by its beard, and struck and killed it” (17:35). Yet, David knew it was the LORD who protected him, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (v.37).

As David encouraged himself in the LORD in 1 Samuel 30; perhaps he thought about his earlier experiences. David’s victory over Goliath was a direct result of his faith and confidence in the LORD. Every act from the Lord on our behalf strengthens us. It builds our confidence. We can look back and remember His constant care, “for He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Heb. 13:5).

The Lord’s Preventive Power
The Lord seeks to prevent us from acting unwisely in our discouragement. Consider what He did: “Then David said to Abigail: ‘Blessed is the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand” (1 Sam. 25:32-33). David was going to kill Nabal and his household for disrespecting him after he had watched over his livestock (vv.2-13). The LORD intervened and sent Abigail to him. As a wise woman, she addressed the situation properly, knowing that David was the LORD’s anointed (vv.14-31).

Discouragement can lead to anger. Anger and discouragement are a dangerous combination. Abigail’s words were wise: “And it shall come to pass, when the Lord has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel, that this will be no grief to you, nor offense to the heart of my lord” (vv.30-31). The Lord does the same for us: He sends us an “Abigail” to prevent us from acting ungodly and improperly in our discouragement.

As we encourage ourselves in the Lord, think of His interventions on our behalf. Sometimes He uses a person. Often, He uses His word and prayer. Other times He uses the circumstances.

The Encouragement Of A Friend
A godly Christian friend is a gift from the Lord. He or she is there to provide support and encouragement. David had such a friend, as 1 Samuel 18:1-4 describes his friendship with Jonathan: “Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul … Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.” David may have been Saul’s enemy, but Saul’s son was David’s best friend. In chapter 20, the Lord used Jonathan to protect David and send him away to safety.

The Lord often has a “Jonathan” for us in our discouragement. He comes at the perfect time. If we have experienced a measure of slackness from a friend in times of discouragement, remember Proverbs 18:24, which says, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

The Encouragement And Prayer
As David wept in his discouragement, he had many experiences upon which to reflect. He did not focus on the experiences alone, but on God, who is faithful, loving, kind, gracious and protective. He encouraged himself in the Lord, and then he acted. He told Abiathar the priest to bring him the ephod, and he inquired of the LORD. The LORD answered, and three times we read that he recovered all: “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all … So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them: David recovered all” (1 Sam. 30:8,18-19).

When we are discouraged, let us encourage ourselves in the Lord. As we stand in our grief, let us look back on the experiences that a faithful God has brought us through. Let us mediate on the ways that He has delivered us. Let us turn to His Word and prayer. Finally, let us believe that He will recover us. He is our encouragement!

A Personal Note
I would like to conclude on a personal note. My mother went home to be with the Lord in November of 2011. Although sad, I clearly knew the Scripture, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). She was with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I was going through great difficulties and stress that did not directly concern her; we had a great relationship. The circumstances became weighty, and I became discouraged. In the midst of my discouragement I unexpectedly received a text from a former student who lived some distance away and did not know my present circumstances. She wrote: “Be strong and of good courage … Only be strong and very courageous” (Josh. 1:6-7). The text lifted my spirit.

The Lord knows what we need, and He knows how to encourage us.

By Albert Stuart

Seven Simple Steps That Govern Effective PrayerThe child is conscious that he is in the presence of another person – his Father.The Father has the ability to solve his problem.There is a relationship that the child is sure of – he’s talking to his Father.He has confidence that his Father has a personal interest in him and his problem.He openly confesses his need for help with the problem.He states his problem as clearly as he can.He confidently waits on his Father to show him the solution.—E. C. Hadley, adapted fromYou Can Have A Happy Life,
available from Grace & Truth.