Recently I felt very discouraged. I couldn’t quite explain why, I was just very down on things. So I Googled “encouraging verses in the Bible” and I came across 1 Samuel 30:6. It says,

David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.”

David found strength in the Lord. That is great to hear, especially when we are feeling down and all, but when you see the context in which this verse took place, it brings a higher sense of the encourage that David got from God. See, at this moment when David needed that hope and encouragement, he and his men had come upon Ziklag where the Amalekites had just raided that area, destroyed it, and took all the women and children captive. David himself lost family members. He and his men were devastated.

I can’t imagine the sense of loss they felt in this moment, but I myself have felt very discouraged before. It is a terrible feeling. What do you do when you feel down and out?

I know life can be challenging and difficult at times. However, the next time you feel this way, I wonder how things can be different if we follow David’s example.

Remember what David writes in Psalm 28:7, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” In Isaiah 40:29, Isaiah says, He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

Although it may seem tough in the moment, know that God IS your strength and He IS your shield. He WILL give you strength and WILL help you overcome. Trust Him and seek Him to find the strength you need to overcome all that life has to throw at you.

– Tom

How has God given you strength to over come before? Share your thoughts below.