February 2, 2024

Passage Read: 1 Samuel 29 - 2 Samuel 1
Meditation Verses: 1 Samuel 30:1-6

Thought

This would be devastating, and was devastating to David and all his men. But there was also a shred of hope: no one had been killed, but all had been taken captive. They were able to pursue the raiders and recover all their families and all their possessions. The city was destroyed, but everything and everyone else was recovered. Because of this extreme tragedy, David would be kept from the battle between Israel and the Philistines. He would be too busy recovering families to plot some last minute rescue of Israel. And Saul would be killed in battle, making way for David to finally be king. This personal tragedy made it so that God could fulfill His promise to David.

Application

Sometimes terrible things happen because the Lord needs to keep me busy and away from some other event. David and his men still suffered loss: Ziklag was destroyed and would need to be rebuilt, but their families were safe and they even gained spoil to help with the rebuilding. There was a setback, but all could be restored. I need to keep that in mind when things go sideways, and especially after everything of true value is restored safely, that this tragedy was likely caused to keep me from interfering with God's plans in another area.