When You’re Pressed Down
1 Samuel 30:6 (NIV)
But David found strength in the Lord his God.
1 Samuel 30:6 (ESV)
But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
1 Samuel 27:1 (NIV)
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.”
1 Samuel 27:2-4 (NIV)
So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath. David and his men settled in Gath with Achish.
Each man had his family with him … . (vs. 4) When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
1 Samuel 27:5-7 (NIV)
Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there.
Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there.
“Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”
So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months.
1 Samuel 30:1-6 (NIV)
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, and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old.
They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.
When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.
So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.
(vs. 6) David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters.
1 Samuel 30:6 (NIV)
But David found strength in the Lord his God.
Psalm 21:1 (NIV)
The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.
Psalm 28:7-8 (NIV)
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. (Vs 8) The Lord is the **strength of his people … .
Psalm 29:11 (NIV)**
The Lord gives strength to his people … .
Psalm 46:1 (NIV)
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 59:9-10 (NIV)
You are my strength, I watch for you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.
Psalm 68:35 (NIV)
You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!
Psalm 73:26 (NIV)
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Psalm 84:5, 7 (NIV)
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
Psalm 105:4 (NIV)
Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
Psalm 118:14 (NIV)
The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.
Finding Our Strength In God Involves …
- Calling upon Him.
Excerpts from Psalm 18 (NIV)
I love you, Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield … .
I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise … . In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. He reached down from on high and took hold of me … .
You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.
It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.
- Centering our attention upon His word.
Psalm 119:28 (NIV)
My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.
- Keeping ourselves in His love.
Jude 20-21 (NIV)
But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,
keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Psalm 63:3, 6-8 (NIV)
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.
1 John 3:16 (NIV)
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.
But (