David and his mighty men couldn’t seem to catch a break. After being ousted from the Philistine army because some of the commanders mistrusted them, they came to Ziklag to discover the Amalekites had burned the city and taken all their wives and children captive. David and his men were so distressed, they “wept aloud until they had no strength left” (1 Samuel 30:4). After their sorrow subsided, the men got angry, decided it was David’s fault, and threatened to stone him. But I love what verse 6 says: “David found strength in the Lord his God.” After consulting the Lord for wisdom, he and his men pursued the Amalekites and recovered everything, including their wives and children.

When we’re stressed, overcome with grief, paralyzed by fear, or angry about our circumstances, where do we turn? Like David, do we find strength and hope in the Lord, or do we frantically try to handle it ourselves? Do we give into despair or seek the Lord’s counsel/comfort/peace?

Psalm 46 declares:

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (vv. 1-2, 7)

Today, there’s great upheaval around the world. We see conflict in our own neighborhoods—maybe even our own families—and we long for peace. Wars are raging in Israel and the Ukraine (among other places) and the potential for a Third World War seems closer than ever. So where do we find sufficient strength to face the future with expectant hope? When we look at the circumstances and consider how powerless we are, it seems only natural to feel anxious, worried, and fearful, not just for ourselves but for our loved ones as well. But consciously choosing to turn to the Lord Almighty, seeking Him for wisdom and courage, will transform our minds and hearts, enabling us to experience His peace.

I like how David talked to himself when he was troubled and shaken in spirit. In Psalm 62 he declares, “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. … One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love” (vv. 5-6, 11-12).

When another king of Israel, Hezekiah, heard that the Assyrian king Sennacherib was coming, intending to wage war against Jerusalem, he was no doubt terrified. And rightly so, considering the size of the Assyrian army. Yet this is what Hezekiah told his people: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles” (2 Chronicles 32:7-8).

The “arm of flesh” can only take us so far. When it’s a matter of natural strength, bigger armies can handily overcome smaller ones. But there are times when no matter what resources we can muster, they will not overcome the obstacles we face. That’s when we must make a choice about where we will put our confidence.

In times of overwhelming uncertainties, when we are thrown upon the resources of God alone, we learn how faithful He is. There is no other way to learn the lesson of faith. David didn’t become a mighty warrior in Israel by living an easy, carefree life. Before he ever became the established king of Israel, he was faced with obstacle after obstacle … a bear, a lion, a Philistine giant, unsupportive siblings, an enemy king, and a disloyal wife, to name a few. Each challenge that he took to the Lord, where he saw God faithfully deliver him, made him stronger for the next challenge. Surely this is what God wants us to learn too as we follow Jesus. The Christian life is not an easy or trouble-free life, but we are shaped into His image through the times we are forced to depend upon God alone.

Oswald Chambers put it this way in My Utmost for His Highest:

Faith brings us into right relationship with God and gives God His opportunity. God wants you to understand that it is a life of faith, not a life of sentimental enjoyment of His blessings. Faith by its very nature must be tried, and the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God’s character has to be cleared in our own minds. Faith in the Bible is faith in God against everything that contradicts Him—I will remain true to God’s character whatever He may do. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him”—this is the most sublime utterance of faith in the whole of the Bible.

Will I trust Him no matter what happens in the world around me? Will I continue to hope in Him even when my life turns bitter and sorrowful? Will I believe that my Savior, the King of kings and Lord of lords, is triumphant over every enemy that stands in the way of my glorifying Him?  

Elyssa Smith’s chorus entitled “Surrounded” (Bethel Music) testifies to this path of spiritual victory. “There’s a table that You’ve prepared for me in the presence of my enemies, it’s Your body and Your blood You shed for me … This is how I fight my battles. I believe You’ve overcome and I will lift my song of praise for what You’ve done. It may look like I’m surrounded, but I’m surrounded by YOU.”

Whatever we face, we have the resources we need in Jesus. He is the great overcomer! If He has conquered sin and death, bringing us into new life with Him, what can possibly defeat us now? Paul reminds us in Romans 8:31-37: “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? … Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Today, let’s lift our eyes to Jesus and find strength in Him. He will never leave us, never forsake us, so we can face the future with expectant hope. He will be with us to the end. I’ll close with the words to another chorus we often sing by Stuart Townsend and Keith Getty:

In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song; This Cornerstone, this solid Ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm..

What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease! My Comforter, my All in All, here in the love of Christ I stand.

Heavenly Father, we are often fearful of what lies ahead. Will you remind us by your Spirit that we are not dependent upon the arm of flesh? Our battles are not waged in our strength alone, but our faith is in you, the Almighty God. Instill courage in our hearts today and help us to represent you well in this time of great turmoil and uncertainty. We thank you for all we have in our relationship with Jesus. May we follow Him fully and trust you to take care of everything else. Amen.