We all have days when we are attacked from all sides! If anyone was ever having a bad day, it was David! He had returned to Ziklag with his men only to find that the Amalekites had burned their city and taken their wives, sons and daughters captive. What an awful calamity! To make matters worse, his men were turning against him, blaming him for the great loss, and wanting to storm him.
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! Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.” 1 Samuel 30:6-8
If you are facing a great battle, the best thing you can do is to pull back. But David took a step back and encouraged himself in prayer, thus casting himself and his fortunes on the God who, years before, had chosen him to be “His anointed.” To get an answer from Him, he called the priest to bring an ephod, a symbol of worship, to receive direction from the Lord. When he heard the Word of the Lord, “Thou shalt recover all,” he had the power he needed to pursue his enemies.
Often we are living in the battle, facing the challenges, wringing our hands and fighting in our own strength. What we need to do is pull back, wait upon the Lord, rest in Him and be led forth with peace by the Holy Spirit of God. Finally, you will go forth in his power and recover all! David, with the help of his God on whose mercy he had thrown himself, obtained his brilliant success over Amalek, and restored his prestige not only among his own immediate followers, but through all the cities and villages of Southern Canaan.
Brother Timothy