When All Hope Seems Lost

(1 Samuel 30)

King David is the most famous of all the kings of Judah, and for good reason. He is called “a man after God’s own heart” (1Samuel 13:14) and he was chosen by God to be the one through whom the Messianic line would be established. (2 Kings 8:19, Jeremiah 23:5) Everyone loves the story of the little shepherd boy who defeated Goliath, and became a mighty warrior and faithful king. When you think of David, you probably picture a boy sitting by a bubbling brook playing his harp and singing psalms while wooly sheep graze happily nearby, or a young man with a slingshot in his hand standing triumphantly over a slain giant. But David’s life wasn’t all quiet streams and valiant victories. He endured some dark and difficult times, both before and after becoming king.

David’s predecessor, king Saul, was a man characterized by pride, insecurity and jealous envy. It was Saul’s pride that caused the LORD to reject him as king over Israel and to choose David as the next ruler. And when David began to gain the favor of the people as an esteemed military leader, Saul began to display a jealous rage and hatred toward David. Intent on doing whatever it took to keep David from gaining the throne, Saul was determined to have David killed. When David realized his life was in danger, he fled and was ruthlessly hunted by Saul who was determined to end David’s life.

The chase continues for what was probably a period of at least six years. Finally, David decides it would be safest to hide from Saul’s pursuit by going to live among the Philistines. So David and his band of 600 men who had followed him faithfully and helped protect him from Saul, settle in the city of Ziklag.

While living in Philistine territory, David remains faithful to Israel and continues to fight their enemies, even while gaining the trust of one of the Philistine rulers by pretending loyalty to him. Then when he has lived among them for over a year, the Philistines gather forces to march against Israel in Judah and attack. And initially David and his men are recruited to join them in battle, but not all of the Philistine rulers as trusting of David, and eventually the commanders agree that he must be sent back. This is a huge dishonor shown towards David and his company of warriors, but they reluctantly make the three day journey back to Ziklag.

But upon returning home, they find that in their absence the city has been raided by the Amalekites and been completely burned to the ground. Their home and only remaining place of safety has been destroyed. All their wives and children have been taken captive, perhaps even been murdered for all they know. Tired and devastated, David and his men weep aloud until they have no strength left to weep. And just when it seems like all has been lost and things couldn’t possibly get any worse, David’s men who are completely disheartened and bitter, begin to talk about stoning David to death.

Can you imagine the hopelessness David must have felt? He’s been running for his life, living far away from his country and true home, not only hiding in fear from Saul but working hard to hide his true loyalties from the Philistines. He has been shamefully rejected by the people he’s been living among, his only place of refuge is no more, his wives are gone, and now even his only friends and comrades want to kill him! He literally has nothing left, except for the clothes on his back. He is greatly distressed, as anyone in his situation would be.

And yet, the next verse tells us, “But David found strength in the LORD his God.” (1 Samuel 30:6b) When all else seems lost, David looks to the very Source of all strength and hope. He takes courage, not in his abilities, his resources or his circumstances, but in his God, the shield of his heart and the deliverer of his soul.

David prays to the LORD, and asks whether he should try to pursue the Amalekites who had destroyed Ziklag. God tells him to go, because he will have success. So David rallies together his weary men, and they go in search of the raiding party. And even though two hundred of the men are too exhausted to even make it the whole way there, David and his small troop manage (with the LORD’s help!) to track down the raiders, and win back every single woman and child that had been taken captive, as well as all the plunder that had been lost. It was a victory that gave them all the courage to keep going, until at last David would become king.

As I think about this story of tragedy and hardship, I imagine it probably would have been easier for David to blame God for his problems rather than run to Him in the midst of them. God had anointed David as future king, helped him fight the LORD’s battles against the Philistines, and protected and provided for him. But now it seemed like everything was falling apart. Had God abandoned David? Had He forgotten His good promises? As David sat there in the literal ashes of what had once been his refuge and home, he had a choice to make. He could give in to the despair and hopelessness of his situation. Or he could look to God. David chose to get on knees in prayer. He chose to ask the LORD to help him take back what the enemy had stolen.

What has the enemy stolen from you? For David, it was not only his house, his town, and his family, but also his dignity, his self-respect, his reputation as a leader, and even the confidence of his own men. Perhaps for you, the enemy has taken your self-esteem, your confidence, or your boldness. Maybe he’s stolen your hope, peace, or joy. Maybe you’ve lost a loved one or a friend. Perhaps a dream that you had has come crashing to the ground. Maybe you’ve been waiting for something that seems like it will never happen. Maybe it feels like God has forgotten His promises to you. Or maybe you’re just tired from the constant grind of life, and wonder if it’s all worth it. We have all experienced loss, disappointment or discouragement of one kind or another.

When we’re surrounded by difficulties, it can be tempting to just give in and quit. We can also be tempted to blame God for our problems. After all, we know that God in His sovereignty has allowed our trials. Even Job, who we usually think of as an example of godly patience in the face of suffering, struggled with the question of why God had allowed it. His initial reaction was worship, but as the story continues, Job gets frustrated and angry. He is mad at his friends for concluding that he must have sinned and that he deserved his suffering, and he turns his anger towards God for denying him justice. While insisting on his own innocence, Job turns the blame on God and questions the goodness of God’s character. The Almighty has to put Job back in his place and remind him that he is not God, nor does he understand the complexities of governing the universe.

We know that it was not God who was to blame for Job’s suffering, but Satan. Perhaps like Job, or even like Peter, Satan has asked to “sift you like wheat (Luke 22:31).” It is Satan who wants to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus wants to give you abundant life. There are three possible sources for our suffering: sin, Satan, or a fallen world. And yes, God in His sovereignty allows our suffering. But that doesn’t mean He desires it. On the contrary, it deeply grieves Him – so much so that He gave His own life to free us from sin, Satan and our fallen world. He loves us passionately and while He may use suffering to refine our faith, ultimately He desires to rescue us from it. God is waiting for us to come to Him so that He can shower us with His love and grace. He is the one who can give us the strength and courage to rise up from the ashes of defeat and restore our hope and joy. And in the culmination of His Kingdom, there will be no more suffering and no more pain.

I often struggle with passages such as Psalm 91 or Psalm 121 where we are promised God’s protection. Because God doesn’t always protect us from pain, so how am I supposed to bring myself to trust His promises of protection? What do those verses really mean if they’re not saying that God will prevent troubles in our lives? But every time I wrestle with those questions, God always brings me back to the same conclusion: the promise is not that I will never suffer, the promise is that every trial He allows has had to pass through the filter of His perfect love for me. While He may not protect us from hardships, He will always protect us from anything that tries to snatch us from His loving hand. Hurt and heartache may haunt us, sin and temptations may trip us up, people may betray and abandon us, and Satan and his demons may harass and taunt us, but NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. He is our Father and we are His children, and no power on earth or in hell can change that. Hardships and struggles may come, but they cannot keep you from His presence. In fact, if you let them, they will draw you closer to Him.

From reading David’s psalms, we know that he struggled with feelings of hopelessness and despair. From the state of our broken world, I imagine you have too. I know I have. But in every psalm in which David expresses the honesty of his loneliness, heartache, defeat, and despair, he always concludes with praise and hope in the goodness of God’s character. Like David, we have a choice: What will we do when hope seems lost? Will we give in to our yucky feelings and hard circumstances and give up? Or will we cling to Jesus, trust His good character, and find grace and strength in Him? Let’s choose to be men and women who run to God in the midst of tragedy, rather than away from Him. Let’s set our sights and our hopes on the ever-present love of Jesus, and reclaim the joy and peace that the enemy has tried to steal. This life may not be easy, but we have a tender and compassionate God who is with us to strengthen us and help us, and give us the courage and faith to overcome.