How To Survive Total Loss

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Survive Total Loss

191125AM

19-Samuel-11

DAVID SURVIVED: As we open to I Samuel 28, David has survived all that, and even one last commando raid by Saul on David’s hideaway in I Samuel 27. David survived: like a cancer victim that has finally finished the surgery, chemo, and radiation; and finally is declared cancer-free. David was weak, but David had made it out of the woods, and life has returned to what it was like before all these months and years of fear, turmoil, and struggle. What a pathway those days had been. Do you remember what David had gone through?

After being captured and held by the Philistines, betrayed and nearly hunted to death by traitors from his own tribe, surviving month after month of murderous commando raids led against him by his own father-in-law, and enduring all the emotional damage that job loss, anxiety, and frustration could exact from him: the Lord allows David’s life to even out.

With his new wife Abigail, plus his family from his other wives, David has gotten established and on his feet. David had become accepted, admired and even trusted by the Lord of the Philistine city of Gath. As a way of showing appreciation, Achish gave David a place to settle down.

He has a small town, a band of raiders, and houses, wives, children, and livestock. Work is going well, he has made peace with his former enemies the Philistines, and things seem better than they have ever been. Saul is no longer on his trail, the Philistines are no longer a danger, and the time has come to make a living and focus on family life and financial stability. But only the Lord knew that this was just: DAVID’S ACID TEST: After all that David has gone through, now this. Total Loss is what David faces next. As we read these inspired words note the insight that only God could give us as we read 1 Sam. 30:6. It was God who could see David’s heart, his motivation.

TOTAL LOSS: David experienced a total loss. David sets out with all his men to go and hunt the enemies of the Philistines, and gather the spoils of war to support the 600 families now living at Ziklag, a town the Philistine leader Achish of Gath had given to David.

While they were away from Ziklag, the Amalekites (whom Saul had previously refused to utterly destroy) attacked the city, burned it with fire, and took all their families captive! Listen to this amazing description of the events that surround David losing everything that he had ever held as dear. In one swift blow, it was all taken away: wife, family, wealth, children, and security. Everything was gone.

When they returned and saw Ziklag’s total destruction and that their wives and were children gone,… David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no more power to weep (1 Samuel 30:4).