FINDING STRENGTH IN GOD

FINDING STRENGTH IN GOD

By: Rev. Arnel C. Tan

“…….But David found strength in the LORD his God.”

1 Sam. 30:6 NLT

David under the most stressful moment of his leadership survived when he found strength in the Lord his God. This is a wonderful intimate picture of David’s relationship with the LORD. Here we see David personally so acquainted with his God. In the most trying moment he found God so near, so real. Such relationship of being near God and being strengthened by God is not the experience of many. Not that it’s not available nor was it kept in a hidden code; it’s really an open secret that few dare to explore.

Such simplicity of finding strength in the Lord requires a faith relationship with God. No time wasted proving the existence of God, much time is allotted in knowing God, resting in God and being strong in God. It’s also a desperate call for help and a deliberate abandonment of all false source of confidence. Until it’s really God alone as the source and the sufficiency of life and meaning of our existence and His glory the pursuit of our heart we wallow in shallow waters. Ignorant of the things we say, detached from true communion with the Almighty.

I really wonder especially in the darkest time of my life if this Old Testament record of David finding strength his God is still true today? My heart in many dark night of the soul could not even describe the abyss that I am in. If there is one thing very difficult to do is to lie to your heart. Feelings are expert liars, restraint within are so difficult to achieve when the inner man wants full release from bondage hard to describe. Perhaps David having been familiar with this dark corner of life where his leadership is waning and his crisis increasing can only run to God with whom whose presence and promise he enjoyed.

While David’s crisis and ours seem to have been eaten by a stubborn web of complication the way out and the way to survive is still made so simple. Find strength in God. After all we tried the many medicines and promise of relief from the experts we still find true rest when we finally come back to God and be strengthened by Him. It’s no longer our strength it’s God’s strength at work! It’s declaring dependence rather than independence that the weary finds rest, or rest finds him. This is a case of reckless abandonment of our deep wounds into the care of the Great Physician. Oh weary one after everything has been said and done, bloodied and messy and sick and tired of being sick and tired we still find that our way back to safety is drawing close to the LORD. And David found strength in the LORD his God in other words it means CALL ON THE LORD! Next time let’s not try to experiment let’s experience the strength that comes from God! Believe me He is more than willing He is able!