23/04/2011 - The return of the hero

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“Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag,” (II Samuel 1:1)
The Amalekites were wicked as all enemies are: they invaded Ziklag and took the booty that remained from the spoil of that city and also the women and the children. That made David, a man of God, cry his eyes out till he had no more strength. Well, even great men shed tears when they go through hardships. We must turn to the Lord and seek in Him the power we need to perform the necessary change.
Once recovered, David went after those ruthless people and defeated them with his six hundred men. He then established the law of spoil and went back to Ziklag where he heard of the death of Saul and his three children. David spent his days hiding from Saul; yet, the one who wanted to put an end to his life was now dead. There’s not such a thing as an endless ordeal and there are no enemies that won’t lose the battle one day. In fact, opponents are defeated by someone stronger than them or by one of the unbeatable rules of life: death. Now, those who trust the Lord are always preserved and there’s no reason at all for them to get desperate; the Most High will show them the way out.
Now, going back to the passage above, it looks as though the first occurrence has nothing to do with the second, but the truth is that they’re actually connected. Now that Saul had passed away, David knew his turn to sit on the throne was approaching; after all, he’d been anointed king over Israel by prophet Samuel years before.
A wise man will always know the right time and the way to achieve the goal which the Lord has called him for; all they have to do is to stand firm in their faith and not get involved with wrongdoings. So, amid the honors showered upon David, his spirit felt that a greater mission was being put over his shoulders. He spent those two days meditating on what he had to accomplish – he must have prayed a lot.
The fear of the Gospel and a life of prayer are the marks of a man of God. It’s necessary to leave behind all our personal desires and take over the mission appointed to us by our Father while we pray. It is during or after communion with Him that we must make decisions.
David left Ziklag to take over his reign. He had been deemed by God a man according to His own heart and now he was ready to become the king of Israel. The years he was persecuted by Saul gave him a lot of confidence in the Lord and that was paramount for the position he was to assume among his people.
My brother, don’t get desperate if you’re going through trials today! Nothing that’s going on with you now is hidden from the eyes of God. Fear the Lord! That’s the secret to overcome any crisis.
In Christ, with love,
R. R. Soares