Here’s a quick take from Francis Chan’s talk. Chan started with 1 Samuel 30, a story from David’s life. David and his soldiers had just returned from battle only to find their entire village razed and that the captors had taken off with the women and children. They had lost everything. The situation wasn’t just dire; it was devastating. Then, to top it off, after David and his soldiers had wept until they could weep no more, the other soldiers swelled with resentment towards David. They even wanted to stone him. This was bad! But Chan pointed us towards a strange, seemingly out-of-place verse: “…but David strengthened himself in the Lord.”
Chan comments, “That’s it? He ‘strengthened himself in the Lord?'” With all of things David could have done and should have done, that was the first (and apparently) the only thing he did in that desperate situation. Chan asks, “When was the last time you heard anyone talk that way?”
Chan wasn’t saying that we don’t need Christian community, but when we face desperate situations we often tick off at least four things we need (including God, of course), and if we don’t get all four of them, we come unglued. But when we react that way, we almost act like God isn’t even there–or that he’s just one nice option among many other options.
How about you? Where and how do you need to strengthen yourself in the Lord? Is that your first option, your last option, or just another option in the midst of other nice options?
