Picture this fast action-packed scene from the life of David in 1 Samuel 30:

David and his army arrived home from a battle they had been fighting to discover that their city had been burned to the ground and all the women and children had been taken captives.   On top of that, David had another problem - the people blamed him for what was happening and spoke of stoning him.  He was distressed.

 It is interesting to see what David did:

1.  He encouraged himself in the Lord - He definitely had a problem but, he couldn’t let his emotions rule, so he encouraged himself in the Lord.  (vs 6)
2. He prayed. (vs. 7)
3. He inquired of the Lord saying:  Shall I pursue after this troop?  Shall I overtake them? God said:  “Pursue; for you shalt surely overtake them and without fail. (vs 8)

 And, as the story continues, David did pursue his enemies and recovered it all that the Amalekites had stolen from him.  There was nothing lacking.  (vs 18)

 I love a good ending to a story, so those words RECOVERED IT ALL has always been my favorite.  Quite honestly, anytime I can kick the old devil’s booty, as my grandchildren calls it, I’m all for it.  Take back what he stole from me!  YEAH! 

 But, recently, I heard someone speak from another phrase in that passage of scripture as to what David did first:

 He Encouraged Himself in the Lord

The speaker pointed out that:  “Sometimes there is no one to encourage us. In this passage David's own men wanted to kill him. But, David was so secure in knowing his identity in God and the purpose for which God had called him, he encouraged himself.

Has that ever happened to you in your pursuit of your God-given dream?  You have heard from the Lord and you know the vision and dream that He has placed in your heart to pursue.  But then - things don’t go as smooth as you had hoped they would.  Even those close to you become your greatest adversary in your pursuit of your dream

• they tell you that you missed it
• they tell you it is the wrong time
• they blame you for problems
• they think you are crazy and a religious fanatic

 It is easy to give into pressure. But, when we know who we are in Christ, when we know that we have been called for a certain purpose, then we must pursue, even if it means we have to go it alone.

 Don’t let your dream for which you were created die.

Encourage Yourself in the Lord.