How To Survive A Bad Day
Week 03 — God, Should I Even Keep Trying?

(1 Samuel 27:1–4) But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.” 2 So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maoch king of Gath. 3 David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. 4 When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

(1 Samuel 30:1-3) 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 all who were in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. 3 When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.

(1 Samuel 30:4) So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.

(1 Samuel 30:6a) David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters…

But God is a God of Turnarounds….

(1 Samuel 30:6b) …But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

(1 Samuel 30:8) So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”

(1 Samuel 30:18–20) David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. 20 He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.”

What do we learn?

1. Beware of the dangers of spiritual, emotional, and physical fatigue.

Long periods of struggle can leave us weary and discouraged. As David did, we can lose hope in God’s promises and make bad decisions that usher in the worst days and seasons of our lives.

2. Know that God is at work on behalf of our destiny even when we are going in the wrong direction. (the Egyptian slave getting sick and being left behind, the commanders mistrusting David and sending him home, etc.)

3. The darkest hour REALLY IS often the hour just before the dawn of a new day!

4. Sometimes you have to encourage YOURSELF in the Lord, because no one else (even your closest friends) will. In those times remember all that God has done, and talk to yourSELF!! (See Psalm 103)

5. Don’t make life-defining decisions when you’re at your lowest point. Wait until you are at encouraged and can hear from God, as David did.

6. Never, ever, ever give up!!  Unless you have a clear word from God to stand down, PURSUE, OVERTAKE, RECOVER ALL!