1. Stolen Blessings (1 Sam.30: 1 – 20)
“...When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. They came to know that the Amalekites had raided the Ziklag ...” (v.1, 3)
When David and his men returned home (Ziklag) on the third day, they were horrified to find their possessions and family disappear. All the men were greatly distressed about their sons and daughters, who were taken captive, to the extent that they wanted to stone David and kill him.
In this world, there are Amalekites (enemy / thief) that are trying to raid your blessings (finance / health / peace) and taken them away as captives. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”
– John 10:10. Remember, “They (Amalekites) killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way…” (v.2). The thief has only stolen the blessing and could never destroy your blessing.
2. The cry for deliverance
“David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. But David found strength in the Lord his God.” (v.4)
Weeping is a form of adaptive human behaviour, which occurs after a loss of the loved ones. David wept not only in front of men, but also in front of the throne of the Almighty God. He said: “Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll- are they not in your record? Then, my enemies will turn back, when I cry for help. By this I will know that God is for me.” - Ps.56:8, 9. Not the 600 men, but Only David knew that when he pours out his distress in front of the throne, God will surely deliver him. “…In my distress, I called upon the Lord and cried to my God; He heard my voice…” (Ps.18:6).
Yes, God loves the broken-hearted people. “The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”-Ps.34:18. The prayer that comes out from the depth of the heart with cries and tears has a profound effect on heaven. The High place will shake and the Lord Almighty will come running down to the earth to comfort you and deliver you (refer Ps.18:7-19). Isaiah declares: “For this is what the High and lofty One says – I live in a High and Holy place, but I also live with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the heart of the contrite.”- Isa.57:14.
3. Restoration of the lost
Then, David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” God answered, “Pursue them; you will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue”. David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day and none of them got away. David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken. Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back...” (v.7, 8, 17, 18, 19)
When David enquired the Lord from the depth of his heart and with cries and tears, the Lord delivered him from the hands of his enemies. Indeed, God restored all of David’s blessings which were stolen away by the Amalekites (enemy).
In the same way, when we cry out to God in times of seemingly threatening situations, the Almighty God is true to his word and will deliver us from evil. “Surely, He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.” (Ps.91:3)
