Turning Disappointments Into Appointments, Part 1of3, Evans Olang

1Samuel 30:1-30, “…But David encouraged himself in the Lord”

David has just come back to Ziklag a place where he and his men’s families camped for some time. During this time, David had been anointed to be the next king while Saul was still ruling at this time. David’s reign was just around the corner, however his reign was not going to come easy. Saul was out to kill him, the philistines to who he had destroyed their champion had an issue with him and now the Amalekites had descended right into their camping site while David and his 600 men were away to team up with the Philistines to fight Israel. The Philistines did not trust David for they feared that David was in a position of turning against them while in the battle field to join the Philistine enemy. So they refused to allow him to team up with them and David and his men came back to their camping site.

One thing I want to point out, there is always an enemy against the people of God. Just because you are anointed and walking victoriously does not mean you are exempt from attacks from the enemy. If you defeated him once, surely enough he will leave you for a season and then come back at a later time. When Jesus was in the wilderness after being tried of the devil, the bible says that the devil left him for a SEASON. The Amalekites were David’s enemies and David had fought them before and won and therefore left him for a season. When they knew David and his men were not at home (camping site), they came in and attacked the place. We need to be on the lookout at all times, the bible says 1Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; for your adversary the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour”. Mark the word, he roams like a lion, he is not the lion, Jesus Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Isaiah 62:6, says “I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night”. These two verses alone show us that we have an enemy constantly checking whether we are sober and vigilant, he is also trying to see if we have watchmen on the walls. Are you well covered in these areas?

While men were absent, the enemy descended. Where are men today who are watching their camps in prayer and in the word? Majority have exposed their wives and children to danger because they are not watching their camps. If you are driving and you have your family in the car, you would not fall asleep on the wheel would you? If you did, you will have put the lives of your family in danger leave alone yours. Being married has driven me to pray more and be in the word, why, because I need my camp safe. The enemy is out to destroy my spiritual life, my marriage, my home, my ministry etc. the thought drives me to watch and pray.

Since David and his men were missing in action, the Amalekites came in and took their wives, children and possessions. They went as far as burning the entire place down, what does this remind us of the mission of the enemy, John 10:10, “The thief cometh not but for to steal, kill and destroy”. Already two of his missions have been fulfilled, he has stolen and destroyed. When David and his men came and saw everything that had happened, they wept until there was no more strength left in them. It’s ok to weep over what you’ve lost but there comes a time when we have to pronounce benediction over what we have been weeping over and take a stand, encourage ourselves in the Lord and trust God. God is bringing us from a place of being victims to place of being victors for His own glory. What the enemy meant for evil, God will turn it around for our good for His own glory. To continue, blessings Ev