Text: I Samuel 30
How is hope destroyed? There are two main ways:
1. Fear - It acts like a wave against a barrier wall. It chips away at our hope until it destroys it.
2. Unexpected circumstances - They act like a wreaking ball. Sudden changes in our health, finances, jobs, relationships, etc. can bring our hope crashing down.
In I Samuel 30, we read about David forming an alliance with Achish, a Philistine king, and conducting raids into Israel's territory. The king didn't know David was attacking those Israel was supposed to displace. He made sure all of them were dead, so they couldn't report his actions to the king.
Achish figures David is loyal, so he asks him to take part in a raid against Israel. He goes with him. When he and his men return to Ziklag where they had their headquarters, they discover it's been burned down and their families and possessions taken for spoil.
Other times they returned without losing anyone and finding their loved ones waiting for them. What is different about this time?
1. This raid took longer than his previous ones.
2. Maybe some of the men were upset going against Israel.
David's men are so upset they want to stone him. David seeks God's direction. He wants to know whether he should pursue them and if they would overtake the raiders. God gives David the okay to pursue them and promises they will recover all.
On the way, David and the 400 men who went with him find a servant of the Amalekites. He hasn't had anything to eat or drink for three days. His master abandoned him when he got sick. Hearing that story, perhaps some of the men might have begun to lose hope for their loved ones. They press on and recover everything.
David may have made some mistakes along the way, but God turned the situation around. With all the spoils, David doesn't become greedy, but gives some of them to Judah. Later on, Judah became the first tribe to make David king.
How do we restore hope?
1. From Fear - renew ourselves on the promises of God. Go into the Word and see what promises you have as a child of God. Don't waver from what God said. Hold onto that word.
2. From Sudden Events - Get before God and find out if this is part of the plan. Am I supposed to be here? If not, what do we need to do next?
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