October 04, 2024
- Read 1 Samuel 30:1-31 (NIV)
1-2: “David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, 2 and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them but carried them off as they went on their way.”
Life has a way of throwing us curveballs. What does this mean? Curveballs are unpleasant and challenging life situations that come out of the blue. They can be disruptive and can leave their victims feeling blindsided. In the book of Job, we find an example of someone who was thrown multiple curveballs all at once. Yet, amidst these curveballs, there is an expectation placed on us to put things back to order – we must find a way to re-establish the dominion that God has placed on us.
Verses 1-3 of our text show David and his men of war were thrown a curveball. They came back to camp to their women and children taken and their land and possessions destroyed. The Bible goes on to say, “then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep” - 1 Samuel 30:4. Crying is a normal response to a curveball. When Esau lost his blessing to his brother Jacob according to Genesis 27, the bible tells us he wept (verse 34). When loses are significant weeping is a normal response. However, during this time, we are challenged to look for hope. Psalms 30:5b reminds us that “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
Whatever curveball may have been thrown at us, and the situations looks bleak, it is only for a night. Joy will certainly come in the morning! Even as we go through shock, confusion and pain, God is telling us to walk within the dominion He has placed on us to re-establish order.
Amidst these curveballs, there is an expectation placed on us to put things back to order – we must find a way to re-establish the dominion that God has placed on us.
How do we re-establish order?
We look for hope. There is a deeper response when curveballs are thrown at us, and that response is to look for hope. Crying is an initial, superficial response, but we must look beyond this. There is always hope, though it may be difficult to find. Nahum 1:3b says that “His (the Lord’s) way is in the midst of the whirlwind and the storm.” That means amid the whirlwind, there is a way! Look for hope amid the chaos.
Our main text makes it hard to see hope in the situation. With the land and homes destroyed and the woman and children taken captive, the situation seems bleak. Yet no one was killed – but in captivity. For David, this is a miracle seeing that when he raids other cities, he is usually instructed to destroy everyone and everything.
Therein lies the hope in this situation– the fact that most things can be replaced, but human life cannot. And in this case, it would have been easy to look at the destruction as it was overwhelming. But God reminds us through David, that if we can take a moment to inquire of Him, He will show us that there is still hope that what was lost can still be restored -1 Samuel 30:8. This is our calling when we are thrown curveballs – cry, yes, but then look to the Father for hope.
Song of Worship
My hope is in You, Lord
All the day long I won't be shaken by drought or storm
A peace that passes understanding is my song
And I sing my hope is in You, Lord
Song My hope is in You by Aaron Shust
Prayer - Dear Father, thank you for your word today. Help us to look for hope in the midst of any curveballs life throws at us. Keep us focused on you our Father, that we may remember that our lives are in your hands, in the mighty name of Jesus.
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