Try to recall the worst life circumstance you’ve ever experienced. Were you a Christian at the time? And if so, how did your walk with the LORD impact your thoughts and actions?
We often talk about Jesus ‘helping us through the storms’ or ‘making beauty from ashes’; that sort of thing. We take a very cliched approach to explaining how we should handle trying circumstances. And when those circumstances present themselves, our cliches only allow for an emotional response. But what if the emotions are negative? It happens more often than you think. Here’s the thing: remaining steadfast in the faith IS NOT an emotional exercise. It is an exercise of the mind and will; and exercise that is practiced even when we feel emotionally distraught. Now, let’s tie this to David.
Before David actually became king, he was forced to flee Israel for his own protection. He went into self-imposed exile for 16 months. It was the low point of his young life up to that point. David knew he was God’s choice to replace Saul. But he also knew that Saul wanted him dead. So he fled. But worse yet, he sought refuge with Israel’s #1 enemy. He didn’t know how long he would be in exile or even if he would survive. But he remained steadfast in his faith. As he kept plugging along, God was working his plan in his time.