Victory is refreshing and we all want to share the joy and juicy details with our families. However, when the first glimpse of home reveals a raging inferno, joy turns to panic pretty fast…
In a generation with no fire alarm systems or fire fighters, David and his men were completely blindsided when the Amalekites attacked their city and captured their families while the men were away at war. Suddenly, the victory of the war they just won paled in comparison to the devastation of their homes and the loss of their families.
There are times when life will throw curveballs that are unexpected and difficult to deal with. It could be a bad medical report, betrayal, disappointment, tragedy, sickness, loss, etc. Your curveball situation could be different from mine, but the question is the same – what are you going to do?
The initial response is usually an aching helplessness, followed by a cascade of pain. In the case of David and his mighty men, they cried till they had no more strength to cry. It is OK to cry, but when you finish crying, the question still remains – what are you going to do?
David was greatly distressed by the enormity of the pressure. His wives and children had been taken too, but the anguish of his men broke his heart. In addition, he found out that his devastated men were planning to kill him. What does a leader do in such situation? No training could have prepared him to handle such an extreme situation of personal loss and leadership crisis.
Somehow in the midst of the chaos, David found strength by encouraging Himself in the Lord.
There are times when no one would be available to encourage you. People who genuinely care about you could be dealing with their own issues and become oblivious to your need. Even worse, like David, the same people that you rely on could turn against you when you need them the most. At times like that, remember that all hope is not lost. You have the power to encourage yourself in God and receive the strength you need.
I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2
You and I need to learn to encourage ourselves in the Lord like David. We need to draw strength from His faithfulness, on good days and on bad days.
Five Practical Ways to Encourage Yourself in the Lord
- Acknowledge God in the middle of the painful situation and speak to Him
- Remind yourself of the good things God has done for you (this leads to thanksgiving)
- Focus your attention on who God is and what He is able to do (which is anything and everything!)
- When your focus is on God, your perspective of the situation begins to change (Everything looks small in comparison to a BIG God)
- With renewed perspective comes the clarity to take the first step and then the next, till you are out of the fog.
You don’t have to wait for tough times to encourage yourself. You can start today. Encourage yourself in God when seemingly small day-to-day lows like discouragement come. Make it a habit to encourage yourself in God at all times.
As things change, keep a record of answered prayers. The record will become your personal history with God and it would light the way to hope at the darkest time. Each entry represents the personalized evidence of God’s faithfulness.
When you don’t know what to do, encourage yourself in the Lord.
