The Lord spoke these words recently:
"Stay strong in Me, and do not settle for less this year! For this is the year of your recovery, and this is the year I am calling you to enter greater blessings! Like David who recovered and became a greater blessing, so are you!"
In 1 Samuel chapter 30, you'd see how the town called Ziklag (where David lived in that season of his life) was invaded by the Amalekites, and how his own wives and children were taken captive by the enemy while he was away.
1 Samuel 30:1-3 (NKJV) says, 'Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive'.
1 Samuel 30:4-6 (NKJV) then says, 'Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep... Now 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 his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God'.
Speaking of losses, David was in a time when not only his own wives and children were taken captive by the Amalekites, and the town given to him was burned, but now his own people were speaking of stoning him!
But instead of beating and blaming himself for what had happened, the Scripture says 'David strengthened himself in the Lord'. People of God, maybe you too have gone through a time of 'loss' or 'defeat' recently, and you have been rather discouraged and grieved by it. As a matter of fact, we all have such times at one time or another. In times like these, stay strong in the Lord, and do not give up looking to Him. The word 'strengthened' here is 'khawzak' in Hebrew, which can be translated as 'encouraged'. In fact, in King James Version (KJV), it is written 'David encouraged himself in the Lord'.
How do you strengthen (encourage) yourself in the Lord?
1. Remember God's love for you.
2. Remember God's promises/calling/vision for your life.
3. Remember God's faithfulness in your life.
Remember God's love for you
Let the Lord embrace you and fill you with His love again. Romans 8:37 (NKJV) says, 'Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who love us'. David encouraged himself in the fact that the Lord's love for him never fails. After all, his name means 'beloved'.
Remember God's promises/calling/vision for your life
Remember you have a God-given destiny, and with a yielded heart to Him, He will help you to fulfill it. Philippians 1:6 (ESV) says, 'Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion...' David remembered his God-given destiny, and how the Lord had spoken to him through the prophet Samuel during his younger days. David encouraged himself in the fact that God hasn't taken that destiny/calling away, in spite of his 'losses' at that juncture of his life
Remember God's faithfulness in your life
Remember you have a faithful God, and continue to put your trust in Him for your deliverance and victory. It will surely come. Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT) says, 'The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning'. David encouraged himself in the fact that if God has done it before, God can do it again. As He did against Goliath in David's younger days, so could God now! And if God has opened a way for you before, God can open a way for you again!
With a new strength from the Lord to carry on, and as he inquired of the Lord on his next course of action, David recovered it all and rose to great victory, which in turn brought great blessings to those around him (1 Samuel 30:26-31). 1 Samuel 30:17-19 (NKJV) says, 'Then David attacked them (the Amalekites) from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all'.
People of God, like David, you too are God's beloved. And no matter what 'loss' or 'defeat' you may have suffered in recent times, the Lord says your time of recovery is at hand, and He is calling you to enter a time of greater blessings this year! Look to Him afresh and anew today. His mercy is new every morning, and great is His faithfulness! Let Him bring you to where He has meant for you to be this year - GREATER BLESSINGS! Believe, and you shall receive. In Jesus' name. Amen!
