I Samuel 30:6 “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”
In the absence of king David and his army, the enemies of Israel had attacked and burned the city of “Ziklag” and had taken captive the families of king David and of the men that were with him. To make matters even worse, “the people spake of stoning” David because his decisions had allowed such a thing to happen. The men were all sorely grieving and violently angry at David; “but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God”. To “encourage” “himself”, David immediately went to the Lord in prayer (I Samuel 30:7-8). In his prayer, he asked the Lord if he should pursue those who had attacked “Ziglag”. The Lord instructed him to pursue the enemy, so David did, and he totally destroyed them and retrieved their families and goods. Like David, we must go directly to the Lord for courage; for strength, for the will to press on, and for the assurance that the Lord will deliver us. Personally, I find great courage at the Throne Of Grace, speaking directly to the Almighty God. Also, I am wonderfully “encouraged … in the LORD” when I am reading the Lord’s Word and when I am sitting in the Lord’s House with His beloved Children as they joyfully fellowship with one another, as they happily sing the sweet old Songs of Zion, as they humbly and sincerely pray together, and as the Word of God is plainly and authoritatively preached. It is there that we are reminded that success is not dependent upon our own wisdom or strength, but upon that of the Sovereign, Eternal, and Holy God, for He loves us with a “great love” (Ephesians 2:4).