THE SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL STRENGTH

And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. So, David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. Then David and the people that were with him lifted their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God (1 Samuel 30:1-6). The Hebrew word "encouraged" in verse 6 is often translated "strengthened" and on other occasions "hardened". In contemporary language we might call it "battle hardened". Life can make you hard in a bad sense of the word (insensitive or uncaring", but God can make you hard so that you can withstand whatever trial comes your way, Our only source of strength is in the Lord and so we are admonished in Scripture to, " Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually" (1 Chronicles 16:11). Life can wear you down, but God can lift you up! Call upon him now in the time of your need because he delights in showing himself strong in behalf of those who love him, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him" (2 Chronicles 16:9). 

God bless, 

Pastor Tom