October 7th, 2025
Good morning, church family and friends!
Ever had “one of those days?” You know, a day when everything that can go wrong, does go wrong.
Welcome to the club. I am guessing just asking the question caused an immediate flashback to a time when the wheels fell off the wagon, to a day you waited for the other shoe to drop, as things went from bad to worse.
You can probably identify with David, who clearly had “one of those days” while he was the king-in-waiting. David had fled from King Saul into Philistine land (I Sam. 27). He was captured but found favor in the eyes of the Philistine king who grew to trust David impeccably (I Sam. 27:12). He even gave David a city (Ziklag) where David could set up shop (v. 6).
After a hard weekend march back to Ziklag, David and his men discovered the Amalekites had raided their city and burned it to the ground (I Sam. 30:1). Upon further inspection, they found the Amalekites had taken all their families captive – young and old alike (v. 2). David and his men wept aloud until their strength was gone (v. 4). And then to top it all off, the men talked about stoning David (v. 6). Definitely, it was “one of those days!”
His first reaction is understandable: “David was greatly distressed” (v. 6). The word implies a feeling of anguish, of devastation on the verge of hopelessness. I love the honestly of the Bible. There was no sugar-coating David’s reaction, trying to make him appear more spiritual than he really was! This first reaction is emotional, as I am sure mine would have been. But he didn’t let his emotions have the last word, even on “one of those days.”
The writer records that “David found strength in the Lord his God” (v. 6). He didn’t deny what he was feeling but he also didn’t let it dictate what he would do next. With nowhere to go, David simply turned back to God. “He sought both solace and strength from the Living Lord. He sought the consolation and counsel of God’s gracious Spirit” (Keller). In that moment David rested in a truth we each must: God’s presence is constant, even on “one of those days.”
David‘s next decision showed his reliance on God. He turned to the priest and asked for the ephod to be brought to him. Once he received it, “David inquired of the Lord” (v. 6) and was promptly obedient to the instruction God gave him. Even though worn out physically from the several days march and worn out emotionally from the stress of the situation, David leaned into the word of God. David and his men acted swiftly, and all their families were rescued. Obedience is still the best choice, even on “one of those days.”
It doesn’t matter how many of them we have already had, I can almost guarantee we will have another “one of those days.” Will it come at the worst possible time? Yes. Will our first reaction be emotional? Probably. Will we turn to the Lord to find our strength? Should. Will obedience still be the culmination of the day? Guess we’ll have to wait and see. My prayer is that we, like David, will find our strength in the Lord and act in obedience to his Word.
God, make it so!
Blessings,
Pastor David
Ever had “one of those days?” You know, a day when everything that can go wrong, does go wrong.
Welcome to the club. I am guessing just asking the question caused an immediate flashback to a time when the wheels fell off the wagon, to a day you waited for the other shoe to drop, as things went from bad to worse.
You can probably identify with David, who clearly had “one of those days” while he was the king-in-waiting. David had fled from King Saul into Philistine land (I Sam. 27). He was captured but found favor in the eyes of the Philistine king who grew to trust David impeccably (I Sam. 27:12). He even gave David a city (Ziklag) where David could set up shop (v. 6).
After a hard weekend march back to Ziklag, David and his men discovered the Amalekites had raided their city and burned it to the ground (I Sam. 30:1). Upon further inspection, they found the Amalekites had taken all their families captive – young and old alike (v. 2). David and his men wept aloud until their strength was gone (v. 4). And then to top it all off, the men talked about stoning David (v. 6). Definitely, it was “one of those days!”
His first reaction is understandable: “David was greatly distressed” (v. 6). The word implies a feeling of anguish, of devastation on the verge of hopelessness. I love the honestly of the Bible. There was no sugar-coating David’s reaction, trying to make him appear more spiritual than he really was! This first reaction is emotional, as I am sure mine would have been. But he didn’t let his emotions have the last word, even on “one of those days.”
The writer records that “David found strength in the Lord his God” (v. 6). He didn’t deny what he was feeling but he also didn’t let it dictate what he would do next. With nowhere to go, David simply turned back to God. “He sought both solace and strength from the Living Lord. He sought the consolation and counsel of God’s gracious Spirit” (Keller). In that moment David rested in a truth we each must: God’s presence is constant, even on “one of those days.”
David‘s next decision showed his reliance on God. He turned to the priest and asked for the ephod to be brought to him. Once he received it, “David inquired of the Lord” (v. 6) and was promptly obedient to the instruction God gave him. Even though worn out physically from the several days march and worn out emotionally from the stress of the situation, David leaned into the word of God. David and his men acted swiftly, and all their families were rescued. Obedience is still the best choice, even on “one of those days.”
It doesn’t matter how many of them we have already had, I can almost guarantee we will have another “one of those days.” Will it come at the worst possible time? Yes. Will our first reaction be emotional? Probably. Will we turn to the Lord to find our strength? Should. Will obedience still be the culmination of the day? Guess we’ll have to wait and see. My prayer is that we, like David, will find our strength in the Lord and act in obedience to his Word.
God, make it so!
Blessings,
Pastor David
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