Articles
Acting Wisely Under Distress
Before David was the king of Israel, he was the leader of 600 Israelite fighting men who, like David, were at odds with king Saul in some way. Once, when David and his men returned to their village home of Ziklag, they found the village burnt and their property, wives, and children taken by their enemies, the Amalekites.
As leader of his men, David got credit when things went well, but he got the blame when things went badly. It’s no surprise then that David’s men talked of stoning him to death for the great loss they saw as his fault.
David, however, acted wisely under distress. 1Samuel 30:6 tells us that “David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”
David prayed to God for strength in his distress. Before David took any action, he immediately sought guidance from God to avoid reckless, misguided actions and instead choose a wise course. Then, David acted boldly and wisely, leading his men to successfully overtake the Amalekites and regain everything they had lost (1Sa 30:6-25).
We will all face distressing situations, but we don’t have to crumble under the weight of them. Like David, we can pray for God to strengthen us; we can seek God’s guidance before making decisions; and then we can do the good that is within our power.
No matter what you are facing, trust in the Lord to bring you through it. He won’t let you down. -Paul
