On one of those life happening days, we find David sitting among the ashes that used to be his home at Ziklag. This city’s name pretty much clues us in on David’s spirit possibly dwelling in a dejected place since it means being ‘pressed down’ or ‘enveloped in grief,’
Three days earlier, David was fired from his army job with King Achish. While David and his men were on their way home, the Amalekites have not only burned the town down, they have stolen everything including the wives and children of David and his men. Now his men are speaking of stoning him. In spite of being between a rock (several rocks) and a hard place, David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. (1 Samuel 30)
How did David go about giving spiritual CPR to himself when life knocked him down flat? Possibly David returned to his humble-harp-playing-sheep-watching-oiled-for-royalty-tenacious faith of his youth by offering towdah. One of seven Hebrew praise words, towdah believes Yahweh for the impossible allowing His power to work on our behalf as we praise Him with surrendered hands.
Despite his circumstances, David gave the sacrifice of thanksgiving and declared His works with rejoicing. By giving towdah praise, David was laying down his perspective of his many troubles. He then confessed his covenantal right to use Yahweh’s name and believe that Yahweh will raise him up one more time. (Psalm 107:22; Psalm 71:20; Hebrews 13:15)
After asking Yahweh what he should do, David got the Word to go after the Amalekites for he would surely recover everything that was taken from him. (1 Samuel 30:8)
I actually wrote this about David several years ago but it was only today that something hit me about the recovery process. Yahweh didn’t load up camels to bring what was lost to David, but David had to go after, do battle, to get back what was stolen.
Sometimes the battle to move mountains is fought just by speaking to it with a faith filled voice:
“Who are you, O mighty mountain of opposition?
You will become nothing more than a smooth plain that I will quarry the capstone
and bring it out to the sound of people shouting, ‘God, grant it Your grace! God bless it!’”
(Zechariah 4:7)
