Recently, I’ve had to take a break from the news.
There’s just too much heartache and insanity to absorb everyday, without feeling run down by it.
Things are nowhere near normal, and in my opinion, they are not okay.
It’s easy to feel sadness and even despair. Not just because of Covid-19 and the economic loss in it’s aftermath, but other issues. Perhaps those that are new, or longstanding. How many of us are going through other external problems that don’t have anything to do with the virus?
Breakups, injuries, preexisting conditions, rejection and loss, whether the loss of a loved one, the loss of a pet, or a job. Even the loss of a promotion, all of these things can be detrimental to the heart. Add isolation to mix, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.
Yet even with as many times that I have been hurt, hurt enough to feel my heart dragged though the mud, I’ve never had a mob plot to kill me. King David, a man after God’s own heart, dealt with not only loss, but the fear of being stoned to death.
When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captures–Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. 1 Samuel 30:3-6
I couldn’t imagine going through something like that. So much loss, so much grief, compounded with fear.
What really strikes me about this passage, is that even with as dark a place David was in, he found strength in the LORD.
He didn’t wallow in regret.
He didn’t question his worth.
He didn’t accept this as God’s wrath and he certainly didn’t give up.
Instead of turning to despair, David turned to his God.
I challenge everyone reading this blog, to read the entire chapter of 1 Samuel 30, because it’s really quite amazing.
Not only did God restore their families back to David and his men , but he blessed them with the plunder of their enemies.
They got MORE than what they had.
If this is your darkest moment, if this is your greatest time of grief and loss, don’t turn to the pit of despair.
Turn to God.
Who knows what kind of blessings he has in store for you!
Whatever you’re going through, hard as it may be, it’s only a season.
Don’t make it the end.
This too shall pass is cliche, and we’ve all rolled our eyes at it at least once in lives. However, I will tell you that God is limitless, and I’ve seen him do the impossible.
My oldest daughter was diagnosed with Autism when she was three years old. We were told to expect her to never talk. I didn’t turn to despair, I turned to God. Not only can she speak, but she’s a math wiz!
That news, that terrible news, was temporary.
This storm will pass, and blue skies will be in your purview.
If you turn to God, not only will you eventually be restored, but you will have MORE than what you lost.
No matter what you’re going through right now, it’s temporary. Even Covid, is temporary.
Find strength in God, and eventually he will give you victory!
Kimberly Humphreys