Circumstances Change

Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag; they had crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground. They had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone. When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families, they wept until they could weep no more. David’s two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel, were among those captured. David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the LORD his God. [1 Samuel 30.1-6]

Circumstances change. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

David's life was nothing if it was not filled with emotional circumstances. Only a quick review of David's life reveals repeated emotional highs and lows. He fearlessly killed the Philistine's giant, Goliath and then was tormented in his circumstance with Saul. And, here in today's reading, we see that after great victories came the devastating blow of having his hometown burned down and his family taken captive. On top of that, all his men's families were taken captive - and they blamed David.

Yes, circumstances change.

The one thing that stands out about David to this point is that he turned his eyes to God in every circumstance. It should not surprise us then that God repeatedly comforted and delivered David. David found strength in the LORD his God.

It is perhaps the simplest of lessons for us to draw from David's example, but also the most difficult to grasp. In a modern world that offer solutions for nearly every circumstance, we find ourselves looking to the world's solutions instead of to God. Consequently, we find little peace and strength. 

The world's solutions are constantly changing (improving???). The one thing constant about the world's numerous solutions is that they remain in a constant state of change - no matter how "perfect" a solution is achieved, it soon becomes outdated and is replaced by a "new and improved" version in just a matter of time. 

In contrast, God never changes - there is no improvement of perfection! Why then would anyone turn elsewhere for help? The answer is simply that we are only human and, as such, remain the target of an enemy's barrage of idols (fiery arrows? Eph. 6.16) designed for no other purpose than to distract us from trusting God and God alone for that which He (God) promised to provide.

It is in the changing circumstances of life that we constantly find ourselves facing the decision to trust God or trust the idols of man (including man himself). True peace only comes from trusting God and God alone. David found his strength in the LORD his God -  is it any wonder then that he succeeded so gloriously?

The lesson for us in all this is not difficult to understand: circumstances change but strength is found in the LORD our God.

Father, in the changing circumstances of life, may I find my strength in You and You alone.