Men Who Overcome
In Pursuit of Happiness (Living the Blessed Life) • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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1 Then it happened when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev and on Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire; 2 and they took captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great, without killing anyone, and carried them off and went their way. 3 When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep. 5 Now David’s two wives had been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 6 Moreover David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. 7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them?” And He said to him, “Pursue, for you will surely overtake them, and you will surely rescue all.”
My objective is to encourage all men to be overcomers. No matter what challenges you’re facing, you can overcome them. As with most messages, this will have application to everyone, but its principal application will be for men. And it’s secondary application is for all who have men in their lives, to encourage them with these words!!
See your enemy’s angle
In this period of David’s life, he was still on the run from king Saul because of Saul’s jealousy. A number of soldiers from different tribes heard that he was on the run and they abandoned Israel to join David. He had 600 men with him. Things had gotten so bad that David determined in order to escape Saul’s persecution, it would be better to be an ally of Israel’s enemy, the Philistines. They began serving Achish, king of Gath, a Philistine city, as soldiers and killing their enemies. Because of David’s humility, he asked Achish not to allow them to stay in the royal palace, so Achish gave David and his men the city of Ziklag to live and became David’s base of military operations. It came time for the Philistines to go to war with Israel, and David was willing to fight against his own country. But the other kings of Philistia didn’t like the idea, so they sent David and his men back home. A 3 day journey from Aphek to Ziklag, and when they arrive, they see their city going up in smoke and nobody there.
He attacks you when you’re most vulnerable (third day journey back from work)
Application: Amalek was likely aware that it was war time, so they attacked Ziklag when they were gone. Your enemy, the devil, wants to attack when we are most vulnerable. You had trouble at your previous job, now you’re doing your best to work hard at a new one, trying to make ends meet, and that’s when.
He attacks you through your family (captive and carried off)
Application: Also, a principal method is to attack us through our families. That has been a tactic since the dawn of humanity. The enemy wants to take your wife and/or children captive, and put them in a physical, mental, and emotional place that’s far from home and your reach!!
Share your struggle with brothers (David AND his men wept)
Picture them arriving and seeing this. Running up to the city, jumping through the ashes and smoke trying to find their family, but nobody can be found. Everyone’s hearts are now racing, because they’re coming to grips with the reality that their families have been taken. And all 601 of them can’t do anything in the moment to fix it, and nothing but sadness, frustration, and pain pours out in loud crying, until they couldn’t cry no more.
Application: In case you are thinking they are soft for crying. These men were far from soft from physical standpoint. They were the most dangerous men walking the earth. Yet we find them here sharing their cries together. Brothers, we must learn to share our struggles with one another, expressing our pain.
Because we share similar struggles (each because sons and daughters)
Application: Why? Because just as them, we share similar struggles! Sisters, let me say a word to you all real quick. Men do hurt, because we do care. We don’t always show it because we’re so busy trying to be strong, provide, and protect. But when we are faced with situations that we can’t fix, it is a struggle. We carry a unique burden. No it is not the same as a woman, but that does not make the burdens men carry less significant. Sometimes we do need the camaraderie of another brother!!
But don’t allow your pain to hurt your brother (spoke of stoning and embittered)
Application: But also brothers, there’s a path of our pain we want to avoid. Because of the deep care and love for their families, the tragedy begins to master them to the point that they want to kill David. We must be careful not to allow the pain of what has occurred in our families to hurt one another.
Strengthen yourself in the Lord
Because they are heading down this route, the text says that David was greatly distressed, more than all of them because as the leader, he felt a greater responsibility upon his shoulders. But to counter this immense distress on his heart, he started making his heart strong in the Lord!!
When you feel alone (greatly distressed)
Application: This will be necessary when it feels like you’re alone and some brothers don’t understand you, because of their pain.
By reciting God’s promises (Hope)
Application: It isn’t said here, but we see from David’s songs how he strengthened his heart. Ps 27:14 “14 Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.” ; Ps 31:24 “24 Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the Lord.” ; Ps 42:5 “5 Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.”
By inquiring God’s direction (Wisdom)
Application: It’s hope in GOD that makes our hearts strong. We need the strength and clarity of mind so we can do the next thing, and that’s ask GOD “What should I do?” (see 1 Sam 30:7-8). Lord, I need your wisdom!!
By acting on God’s instruction (Faith)
Application: We can become paralyzed by ruminating on the fact that we weren’t there. The past. Not being there is not a good excuse for not fighting for the present and future. Hope, Wisdom, and then action, which is faith!