1 Samuel Chapter 30:1-9

God will allow me to be in that place where nobody else is encouraging me so I will look for him for the encouragement on the God will allow me the benefit there essay the blessing of being in a place where nobody else is encouraging me so I can seek real encouragement from God's a friend next time you're in that position don't just whine about it.

Don't just complain about it, but realize God is put you in a glorious position of being able to look him and him alone. Welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee Senior Pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina. We are blessed to have the studio with us today McGee's assisting pastors Pastor Neal, glad you with his brother right here with you. Thankful for you Bob thankful for Pastor David and looking for this teaching the day as we talk about listen, trusting God even troubled times in uncertain not knowing what's around the corner still fully trusting in him will in our world much everything is guaranteed from day-to-day right, for sure, guaranteed to have troubles but that's when we get the really flexmuscles and put our trust in the Lord will see what we need to do in those troubled times. He teaches verse by verse through first Samuel chapter 31st Samuel is to a large part about David and Saul not not order Solomon David.

Saul was a king who continued not to trust God continue not to be really obedient to God over a long period time began to suffer from those bad decisions and we seen David and David made his share of bad decisions, but we see a heart that soft towards God willing to come back to God that when we were looking at chapter 29 what we saw is David who had made his camp with the enemy of you.

It was now live in and staying with the Philistines and fool them into thinking he was on their side.

He was planning on joining their battle with the Israelites and as we saw in chapter 29 the Philistines that will, we don't want you in this battle and so they said you can't be in this battle. And so David is left out of that battle but we talked about how that was the hand of the Lord.

And so David, after being rejected by the Philistines of going in the battle against the Israelites.

Now he's getting ready to turn back to his home and that's where we pick it up in first Samuel chapter 30 start with verse one. Now it happened when David and his men came as a clack on the third day that the Amalekites had invaded the South and sick like ataxic lag and burned it was fire in a taken captive. The women and those who were there from small to great. They did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. First thing we notice is that apparently the Amalekites were little more merciful than David was because when David was making his raids on the Amalekites.

He was actually wiping everybody out and I did that part to make sure nobody went back to the Philistine king and told him what was really going on and were talking about Amalekites. In this chapter. So let's remember something that chapters ago I 10 chapters or so, that God had told through Samuel had told Saul to wipe the Amalekites out saul obeying God, we wouldn't have this chapter because this is trouble caused by the Amalekites and we see a picture in there that you know we need to adapt to our old nature to our sin nature so that we can live for the Lord and we we don't out of that old nature to come back and cause us a lot of problems and not merely to see the problems in it with Saul and with David in this chapter caused by Saul Bourassa going to see some problems that ultimately Saul house because of his act of rebellion chapters and chapters in years and years ago. Have you verse three.

So David and his men came to the city and there was burned with fire, and their wives are sons and daughters have been taken captive. Then Dave and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no more power to we.

Ellis refers to be some kind of homecoming. After they had been rejected by the Philistines in the battle and the homecoming ended up to be a horrible thing is they came back not to the greetings of their wives and children, but to see their village bar to the ground and their women and children captured by the Amalekites.

So you can understand that this is a very sad occasion. People are. It's a tragedy in her traumatize source get the feel of that as we had in verse five Mrs. David's two wives and a non-than just her lightest and Abigail the widow of Nepal, the Carmelite had been taken captive.

David is in the midst of tragedy and and what you see here in this chapter is a man who, in the midst of tragedy doesn't react to the circumstances, but reacts to his faith.

This is important for us to understand because a lot of times we think well that's tragic enough. It has the ability to derail us in our faith. The reality is, nothing should have that power.

A lot of times we get the situation one the first things we think it will.

Nobody else understands her worship will God doesn't understand what I'm going through your friend. God always understands what you're going through and you may be in a very unique place in perhaps even let me give to you that perhaps other people don't understand that God always understands where you are and how you are and what you feel. Hebrews chapter 4 verse 15 says this for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with her weight, but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin to friend. God does understand he understands what you're going through right now you understand what you're going through the day this week the last hour God does understand the verse six the see what happens that David was greatly distressed for the people spoke of stoning because the soul of all the people was grieved every man for his sons and his daughters, but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God interesting verse one of the key verses obviously in this chapter that out here you have an incredible leader like David incredible military strategist had a lot of victories but noticed something.

He still had to deal with people thinking that he was doing a bad job or would've done it like this or I would've done it like that the world is filled with whether called in regards to footballer called armchair quarterbacks. Those are the guys that you sit back in the lazy chair easy chair and go well you should've done this and you should have done that. Of course it helps when you don't have healing yet a 300 pound guys bearing down on you when you gotta make the decision in a split second but you're making that decision from kind of the back of chilled out the easy chair.

It's easier to make that decision problem in hindsight as a safe 2021 others also those people.

There's armchair leaders.

There's armchair pastors hinder there's armchair leaders in the sense of well I was president I would do it like that is present.

As always, you have more information we have. There's always going be some information that he can't share with us and so armchair leaders armchair pastors you don't like this I would've done it like that in the course you know a lot of times as people mess up my first solution will stoning skill is doing a better job was impeaching was fire and was do that but see here we have David recognizably as well greatest leaders in all of humanity and people along the stunning for his actions. Let's look at something here that I think is kind interesting last chapter in chapter 29. David, we found them wanting to go into this battle that we discussed whether that battle was the fight against the Israelites or fight for the Israelites, but David definitely wanted to be part of the battle. But God did not allow him to fight that. Why is that why think we can see now that he gets back to the can't that God had other flights. He will define God wanted David to get back to Zach like so he could take care of his family who had been kidnapped nothing. Here's an important thing the enemy wants to distract us member reading a book about the day in World War II.

One of things that they did. It was really interesting is the Allied forces that the United States and Britain went up the Allied forces the. The Pentagon uniform and they put fake plan.

Sky was already dead and they put fake plans in his pocket and then they took his body in put it off the coast of Europe. What happened was the Germans discovered the body thought they had stumbled onto a secret, and they were distracted in the thinking that the landing place was not to be Normandy as it really was put in another place he set up in the other place because they were so distracted that helped D-Day be such a victory for the Allied forces that my point is, be careful about being distracted. God wants you to fight particular flights in particular battles and I believe that Hill leaves you in those fights, and in those battles, but they won't be of your choosing but that should be of his choosing. Because what will happen is you will find yourself very distracted and things that you really shouldn't be distracted over these guys want to stoning only killing. They probably are picked up with rocks and they're probably not only talking about either ready to do and let's think for a moment of where David is. David is well is on the run from Saul. He's out of the land of promise.

Israel. Saul is the killing the Philistines on having the Amalekites have kidnapped his wife and children and now his buddies on the killing was well. David really is Walden on every side. Except one wall, then yes, but there's no ceiling where he is so he can look to God and that's what he does a lot of times we had snacks and we have problems we tend towards looking at other people we think of.

Well, I want to call this person. I want to talk to this person. I want you tell the pastor a pastors leader at church. I want to tell about the problems I'm going through and so that they can help me in and encouraged me along the way and friend know, let me say we are here for you we we have a phone that someone else that carries 24 hours a day where's you can talk to somebody at the church but there's going to be a moment in time where there's not gonna be any human around and as a mean you're by yourself because God will be there in that moment just like David's having here in that moment when everybody else is against them. David realize he still has a recourse nest to go to God and what I realize in my life is that sometimes when I get to these positions and of work myself into the corner so to speak, God will allow me to be in that place where nobody else is encouraging me so I will look to him for the encouragement I need.

God will allow me the benefit, dare I say the blessing of being in a place where nobody else is encouraging me so I can seek real encouragement from God to friend next time you're in that position don't just whine about it. Don't just complain about it, but realize God is put you in a glorious position of being able to look to him and him alone there's need quote that sometimes you don't know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you've got.

Sometimes you don't know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you got. This statement is an awesome statement, but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God the King James is encouraged himself in the Lord. We talked about what encourage means EN is a lot like I can and courage to put courage and to be filled with courage and again the Lord will place us in that position were he is really the only one that can in courage us when we find ourselves again in that position don't just talk about all the other people noticed. David doesn't fit our goal.

Nobody likes him anymore. The people trying to kill him and he says he found encouragement the Lord to next time you're in that position you're tempted to start talking about people. Now they're not respondent what you think they ought to respond, go to the Lord and understand you been given an extremely valuable gift and learning to go to him actually first life lesson here is we should go to the Lord first and not last in troubled times. We should go to the Lord first not last in troubled times is one of things that leadership and in staff here at the church understanding is my heart and I think it's the heart of the Lord CA is when somebody sits in front of us is what this is a problem in going to this will say what have you prayed about will know I want to pray but I want you just tell me what to do well see what we want to do is not just give you simple pat answers we want to give you answers, but we also want to point you to God and develop your relationship with the Lord. So have you talk to God about have you prayed about it and what did he say when when you prayed about not just you know to give our opinion when somebody asks the question, but again, to develop and encourage them in developing that relationship with the Lord. Thank you for listening to David McGee with cross the bridge ministries. David's heart is to help you beyond our radio program will continue teaching the word of God and bring hope to the power of the Scriptures we know that these are unusual times so we want to share with you many of our online tools.

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Our daily devotional has a helpful reading plan thoughts from the Scripture and practical life lessons to help encourage you on. You are loved.org you can find full-length teachings from Pastor David and his assistant pastor's baby, you're not able to attend services at your local church right now and visit you are loved.org so you can join us live on Sunday mornings at 10 AM Eastern and Thursday evenings at 7 PM Eastern time. Now back to David McGee verse seven says, then David said that Beth are the priest Ahimelech son. Please bring the e-file here to me that if our broadleaf on to David so David inquired of the Lord's, and shall not pursue this troop shall overtake them and answered him pursue for you shall surely overtake him without fail. Recover all so far was one of the few guys that escape the massacre of the priest was Saul and so David is actually traveling with the only true high priest in his rough part prominent falls have an inherent from God's the high priest who spoke to the people on behalf of God was unavailable to Saul because he was with Dave and so David says hey I want to inquire of the Lord. What does God want me to do an M1 something that again you can go straight to God. Now in complicated situations and things where there's a serious problem and you really need input again. I'm this is not a escape of responsibility. This is wanting to encourage you to develop that relationship with the Lord. And so you don't have to have the high priest David does in this situation any. He wants to know what God wants him to do nothing about this.

These people have kidnapped his wife and children. They burn the village. David is obviously upset the people are trying to kill her and David has the composure to stop and say God what you want me to do what what a challenge is that isn't and how convicting that brings us to the next life lesson we should always ask the Lord about our decision. We should always ask the Lord about our decisions.

I'm sure that David was upset and because he was upset it was. I think even more important for him last the Lord. David had been done wrong. Obviously, but still he stopped me sitting on the for our God wants me to do that so important that so important, I think the more emotional you are about situation. The more important it is that you not act in your own assumptions. Patty asked the Lord is praying, asking God, I need to know what you want me to about this job. I need to know what you want me to about this car about this house Lord, I need to know what you want me to do with this person or this relationship in the Lord will speak to you. I've never heard an audible voice of God to hear that inner voice that small still Intervoice God speaks to me through his word he speaks to move through teachings like this and and also through other believers. But in what you want to do is seek out when you go to people seek out people who have a track record of hearing from God. Seek out people who understand the word of God and can counsel you through the word of God, not just on their own opinions and again in the midst of all this, David's responses to run the Lord to go to God's a God I need your help. It's interesting how one person can go through a tragedy and run away from God and another person can go through tragedy and they run to God and I don't think that that's a decision that's made right in the face of that one tragedy I think usually there's a track record of people either run into God are people running away from God and if you have that track record established a run into God over decisions and over important things in your life. Then when something just insurmountable happens, you forgot that tracker. Do you know what to do will gonna take it to the Lord on the go to guy so go to the Lord again.

This is consistent through here now and any of your sin anything it well sometimes you know sometimes you just don't have time for friend you always get you always have time to print. Well I get in some situation or to make a decision right then and there. You know, let's remember that Peter was on the ocean. The Sea of Galilee and was trying to walk out of the water.

Why do people remember that Peter saying I like to remember that Peter was the only one that got out of the boat that night, but when he began the sink when you do a he he started this long drawn out prayer David inept music in order for his long, eloquent collective prayer with Lord save me knows that and you know what Jesus Jesus looked at him and said you didn't pray long enough that prayer was way too short can't answer that prayer that Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed immediately answer that prayer as my friends were actually this is bizarre because most people in church think that the better the prayer is the longer it is and if you pray for long enough you're really really spiritual but let's remember the words of Jesus. Matthew 67 say this and when you pray, do not use vain repetitions is that even the for they think that they will be heard for their many words. That's interesting, especially the placement of this verse because this verse actually in the place. It is in an Matthew comes before the Lord's prayer, and in that Jesus don't use a bunch of rain repetition just repeat words not knowing what they mean because that's what the heathens do and he said don't do that in any game on the Lord's prayer look always done with the Lord's prayer. I mean if you grew up in a church to go. Remember those running the road is you never really think about what you're saying and that the definition of a vein repetition enters thing. Jesus is don't do this, but do this we take exactly what he told us of the Internet and the other thing does not end interested in your vein repetition. What is interested in this heart communication from you and if you know you're in a situation were only three words you can utter Lord save me say those three words say those three words and got up.

You gotta speak to, certainly, and this time when people are trying to kill David. He could've rationalized out I really don't have time to pray people trying to kill me here and they've taken my wife and children and yet it's he took the time this is.

I think part of the reason Davis described as a man after God's own heart as he always took the time to seek out what God is mostly not always mostly think of them seek out what the Lord wanted do a thing, mostly because you know I'm we don't see him ever asking God about going to sick like we never seem asking God about hanging out with the Philistine, but for the most part he did do this now in verse eight, the Lord says throughout the are pursuing for you will shall surely overtake them, and without fail.

Recover all Celeste notice Halverson on start.

So David went so David went.

David had his answer.

David acted on answer David and go well I don't know. Not really sure I know the Lord said this, I know the Bible says this, but just not sure but is not sure what to do and I just know Sharon will do anything so they'll just sit here in the gutter told me what to do and you can't do that when you pray about something. When you ask God any answers you need to act on that answer C and and David here asked the question with a heart to carry through on the action so important. Have a willing heart is God what he wanted. I won't do anything God what he wanted to volunteer to join the sparkle team and help clean the church okay other than that when he omitted it is is is there something else you omitted CF to be willing to follow through.

That's the next life lesson when God answers act on the answer is been my experience that when you ask God something and then you don't listen.

Sometimes a quick talk that that's important whether you hear that in that still small inner voice or to teaching like this are, you know, through a devotion nor something. Be willing to step out in action and develop a listening ear and out and enlisting heart a listening ear and listening heart, not less.

Let's look at three things that David has done so far.

Number one.

Be encouraged in the Lord be encouraged in the Lord. Number two is inquire of the Lord inquire of the Lord.

Number three is take action for the Lord to be encouraged in the Lord inquire of the Lord, and take action. For the Lord. If you do these things, God will bless you and God will help you in these things and I think a lot of times if you're not willing to do these things then it leaves you in a bad place but if you do these three things, and when bad things happen, you'll see a plan of God become clear in your mind friend you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now own Legion. A short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I can have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry.

Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen it friend if you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again.

Jesus said he would not turn anybody away who comes to him and he came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness. Those who were sick, not the righteous to congratulations Springer just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you prayed that prayer was David for the first time we'd love to hear from you.

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Thanks for listening into the next time. As David McKee continues teaching verse by verse through first Samuel