Now when the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David went down and his servants with him; and as they fought against the Philistines, David became weary. 2 Samuel 21:15 (NASB)
David? Weary? Hard to believe that a wealthy and powerful king could become weary, but it happened. The Philistines were at war with Israel AGAIN, and David grew weary. Their taunts had plagued Israel for as long as he could remember. The death of the giant by young David’s sling and stone only frightened the Philistines temporarily. Once he became king, the Philistines threatened and tormented David again and again.
Are you experiencing exhaustion from a constant battle? Maybe you’re not at war with physical giants, but conflicts meet you at every turn. Disputes and quarrels erode stamina. Arduous, laborious, burdensome—a body is drained when facing mental and physical strife.
Both angst and fatigue plagued me when my daughter lived according to her own desires instead of heeding our warnings about life choices. Thick tension would fill the air whenever we met face to face, usually ending in an explosive wrangle. When away from each other, intense disagreements would occur over the phone. I grew weary.
PLEASE LORD, WON’T YOU HELP ME? CAN’T YOU MAKE THIS STRESS GO AWAY? TAKE AWAY THESE CLOUDS OF GLOOM AND DOOM. GOD, PLEASE BRING PEACE TO OUR FAMILY SITUATION NOW!
I typically didn’t wait for God to work. No time to waste. I needed to fix the situation immediately. So I would reach out to her with well-intentioned words of advice. Surely I could transform her into my ideal daughter. My guidance only morphed into confrontation, creating more misery.
GOD, I’VE BEEN PRAYING. MY FRIENDS ARE PRAYING. WHY AREN’T YOU ANSWERING? FIX HER. REPAIR OUR RELATIONSHIP.
One day God answered me through a friend. “You need to cut the cord and quit trying to fix the situation,” she said. “Let go and let God work in her life and yours.”
Was she talking to me? I wasn’t the one with the problem. Or so I thought until I remembered God’s words from Psalm 46:10—Be still and know that I am God. He was God and I was not. I had a lesson to learn. Maybe I could learn from David’s example.
David inquired of the Lord. That’s right. David took time to stop and ask God what to do. He recognized God’s power. He understood God’s might. He knew the importance of listening and obeying God’s commands. But he didn’t always wait. He learned the way most of us do—the hard way.
Many times he acted without conferring with God (like when he lusted after a married woman, impregnated her, and had her husband killed). Whoa. Who does that? How can that be forgiven?
Yes, King David committed those heinous acts (2 Samuel 11). But when confronted by a man of God, shame filled David’s soul. Remorse brought him to his knees and he repented before God. Then David’s Deliverer rescued him with loving forgiveness. Because he continually yielded to God, God called him “a man after His own heart.”
I wanted to be a woman after God’s own heart. I desired to listen and obey God’s counsel. Humbly in silence, I began to open my ears and heart to God. When I finally removed my will and allowed God’s will in our lives, things slowly began to change. Weariness transformed into gratitude. God strengthened me.
He also strengthened David. This weary, sinful man with a pliable heart peered through the clouds of conflicts in his life and recognized his faithful Lord. Forgiven and strengthened, he penned many expressions of thanksgiving to His mighty Rescuer. He declared his deliverance by God’s hand from all his enemies. His soul delighted with songs of gratitude to his Savior.
In his weariness, David called out to God and God heard him:
““In my distress I called upon the Lord,
Yes, I cried to my God;
And from His temple He heard my voice,
And my cry for help came into His ears. “
2 Samuel 22:7”
David declared who his Deliverer was:
““He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
“They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.”
2 Samuel 22:18-19”
The Lord strengthened him and lit his way:
““For You are my lamp, O Lord;
And the Lord illumines my darkness.
“For by You I can run upon a troop;
By my God I can leap over a wall.”
2 Samuel 22:29-30”
At times gray clouds seem to reign over our lives. Dismal days forecast gloomy outlooks. As hope fades, weariness increases. What do you do? What did David do?
David cried out to God in the midst of trouble. God heard his cry and delivered him from his enemies. David offered songs of thanksgiving to his Lord and Savior. And David’s strength was renewed.
Are you weary from continuous clouds of conflict? Take time to be still and ask God what to do. Allow David’s heart penned in Psalm 18 to penetrate your soul. Recognize your Rescuer. Give Him praise. And He will renew your strength.
Lord, how I love you! For you have done such tremendous things for me.
The Lord is my fort where I can enter and be safe; no one can follow me in and slay me. He is a rugged mountain where I hide; he is my Savior, a rock where none can reach me, and a tower of safety. He is my shield. He is like the strong horn of a mighty fighting bull. All I need to do is cry to him—oh, praise the Lord—and I am saved from all my enemies! Psalm 18:1-3 (TLB)