1 Samuel 30-31: Getting back up again

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When you get down, do you know how to get back up again? Taking two chapters at a time here gives us a great opportunity to see the difference between David and Saul one last time. David was locked into the worst corner he had even been in. His men had been on his side through the chases and the caves, but now even they have turned away from him, creating the perfect picture of isolation that so many leaders experience. David, as leader has become the enemy and target of both the men in front of him and the men behind him.

Saul had had these moments also. Though he was quite often successful, it seemed that each time he stumbled; he didn’t get back up. Or when he did, he was smaller than before. David, seemed to grow through each challenge where Saul seemed to shrink.

David finds his strength in God and then inquires of God for leadership. The men behind David needed to see that they weren’t just following David, but they were following David as David followed Yahweh. His trust in God was like a weight on the other side of the seesaw that was simply heavier than David’s failure’s and disappointment, lifting him up and enabling him to give his men what they needed: selfless, courageous leadership.

Do you know how to find strength in your God? Do you know how to inquire of Him? Everybody is called to lead forward through difficult times, and everyone will face a point where it seems like there are enemies in front and behind. Christians learn how to find strength from their God in the grace of Jesus and to find courage from their God in the new life, in the resurrection of Jesus.

Posted by Marc Lucenius