Last week was a hard week for my family and myself. My dad passed away and he played a big part in my life. It seemed like why God why but we knew it was time. God saved my dad just before he died. It seemed all was lost up until the last few hours, when Jesus came through. So how do you cope with these moments in life when all seems lost? What can we do to somehow get through these times?
One of the best stories in the Bible to show this is found in 1 Samuel 30. Before we look at the story, let’s look at the emotions that may overwhelm us when all seems lost. Not only is there a sense of loss, sorrow, grief, emotional turmoil, maybe anger and hopelessness but there may also be a sense of regret that you somehow didn’t do enough. These emotions are all okay for us to have but we can’t dwell in them. Another blog for another time. Sometimes we can’t even describe the emotions we are experiencing. Just think about those emotions whilst we go through the story. It doesn’t matter how big or small your loss, the emotions will be the same, just displayed in a greater or lesser way.
David and his men had gone off to fight with the Philistines against the Israelites. It was a battle that they possibly should never have involved themself in but they did anyway. The Philistines turned them away because there was a real possibility that they would defect to the other side. So they went back to their town and families. Only when they arrived, the town was burned down and their families had been taken captive.
This was a moment when all seemed lost. Take a think about what was just said. It was a moment – it may feel like a lifetime but it is only a moment. David and his men showed all of the emotions that were set out above except they had one more. The men felt like killing David. So what did David do. He was struggling to cope with his own loss let alone this. In verse 6b, it states that David found strength in God. He turned to the only one that could assist at this time and that was God. David needed a strategy and God was the only one Who could provide it. God gave David a strategy and all was recovered.
In my situation last week, the person I wanted to recover I couldn’t. So what do you do in those times. My dad only was saved in the last hours of his life as God gave him a glimpse of heaven and dad accepted it in his heart that Jesus was real. My comfort only came as I came home from the hospital and cried out to God – You didn’t answer my prayer for his salvation. In that moment God gave me a glimpse into eternity and I saw my dad in heaven being greeted by his parents.
All was lost that day in the natural but in the spiritual everything was restored. Dad resides in the past in my memories, he may not reside in my present but he is definitely in my future. If you find yourself in a similar situation, don’t blame God – cry out to Him. He is the only one that can either give you a strategy to get all back or give you comfort that all is restored.
Have a great week and keep living the life God intended for you.
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