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Kirupakaran

Turning Setbacks into Comebacks

We all have setback in our life, we need to learn from David’s life how to turn a setback to comeback, before you read this, watch this short video of how Saul pursued David to kill him.

Saul was the first king of Israel and David was a young shepherd who later became a renowned warrior and eventually succeeded Saul as king.


Saul became jealous of David's popularity and success, and began to pursue him in order to kill him. David fled from Saul and his army, and for many years he lived as a fugitive, hiding in caves and wilderness areas.


Despite the danger and hardship he faced, David never lost faith in God and remained steadfast in his commitment to his people. He demonstrated his loyalty and courage by sparing Saul's life on several occasions when he had the opportunity to kill him.


At a certain point, David considered it wise to seek refuge in the land of the Philistines, who were known enemies of Israel. He relocated to Gath and settled in the town of Ziklag, where he and his 600 men resided for over a year and four months. The territory of Ziklag was granted to David by Achish, the son of Maok and king of Gath, who was a Philistine.


During David's stay in Ziklag, the Philistines formed an alliance to wage war against the Israelites. Achish, perceiving David to be a faithful ally, invited him to join their military campaign. However, the Philistine commanders objected to David's participation, prompting Achish to send him back to Ziklag without engaging in battle. It took David three days to return home to Ziklag.


As David and his men were on their way back, the Amalekites attacked and raided Ziklag, causing destruction and capturing their sons and daughters, as well as seizing all their possessions.


David's battle against the Amalekites provides numerous spiritual insights and lessons for us to learn.


Ground Zero of David’s State

1 Samuel 30:3-6 (NIV) - 'When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God. '

  • When they came to the city and saw it was a ghost town, a pile of burned rubble with no voice of the survivors, it seemed that everything was lost.

  • Look from David’s eye’s - At this point, David had nothing more to support him all his two wifes and children had been taken away, No one in Israel could help him. The Philistines didn’t want him as well. All he owned was gone. Even his friends turned against him as they were talks of stoning him.

  • Their Spiritual strength and Physical strength was at Ground Zero

    • Spiritual Strength was gone as they had been distressed and bitter in Spirit - “each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters

    • Their Physical Strength was Gone - As they wept loud untill they had no strength left to weep. “So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.”

Lesson for Us :

  • We would normally turn to fellow human to seek advice or rely on our self to do some thing in a ground zero situation, but David sought God when he was in Ground zero - “But David found strength in the Lord his God. '”

  • Self Examine areas of life where you are at Ground Zero, seek God to guide you in that Zero state. It can be at work / personal life situation / Kids / family / struggles with Sin or it can be any thing. Lets emulate like David to Seek God to give us the strength.

God’s Guidance in Ground Zero

1 Samuel 30:7-10 - 'Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the Lord , “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.” David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit. '

  • After David got the spiritual strength from God - He reconfirms with God what is the next steps he need to do. “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”

  • Response from God is only short - “Pursue them,” “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”

Lesson for Us :

  • David had won many battles before, he did not do as he wished, he sougth the advice of God like a rookie to the battle. We may be experienced does not matter, Seek God by surrendering to him.

  • God’s response to our guidance is always short ““Pursue them,” , its not a long story or how we should do what we should do etc, its a short response. we need to have our ears attentive to listen to God’s word on this short response, else we will miss God’s direction if we are pre-occupied with the worldly things and ask him.

  • God always takes only baby steps in his guidance.he will not give the whole plan to us when we ask him. Here in David’s life as well he just said “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.” this is to reaffirm the faith he had with Lord.

  • Out of the 600 men, only 400 people could come as the rest were exhausted, if you look from human side, we may feel we are going to battle only with 60% of the capacity, Because God was in his side, David did not worry on this.

God’s Battle is Different

1 Samuel 30:11-20 (NIV) - 'They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat— part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights. David asked him, “Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?” He said, “I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. We raided the Negev of the Kerethites, some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag.” David asked him, “Can you lead me down to this raiding party?” He answered, “Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to them.” He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled. David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.” '

  • David and his men were going for a raiding party to take the Amalekites. They meet a man who was ill and about to Die. Think from human wisdom, why would someone even pay attention to someone who is weak when their mission is something more focused to raid a enemy camp.

  • God’s ways are different than what we think. He used the Egyptian slave to guide David to Amalekites as he was one of them who came to Ziklag.

Lesson for Us :

  • God chooses the lowest of things which we consider unworthy to take that and make use of this to win battles, here he choose the Egyptian slave who was about to Die to help David lead to the Amalekites where they were staying.

  • Never underestimate God when he asks us to do something which may be totally contrary to our human wisdom, as his wisdom is deep and cannot be fanthomed

  • When God strengthens us, the devil cannot stand against God - Here we see all these 400 men were exhausted physically, now they fight one full day to win over the enemy, the strength of them came from the Lord - “David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day

  • When God fights for us, he always blesses more than what we have earlier. in the case of David he got

    • David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives

    • Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken.

    • David got more than what they had from other livestock - David brought everything back. He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock

Thankful heart

1 Samuel 30:22-24 - 'But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.” David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.” '

  • David returned back to Ziklag and gave the plunder to the 200 men who were left behind, but the men refused to take except the wife and children

Lesson for Us :

  • David comes back and did not claim the victory was his, even though he did fight the battle from “dusk until the evening of the next day” instead he says “you must not do that with what the Lord has given us.

  • We may be victorious in the battles we have, we need to thank God for his mercies and guidance how he has lead in Ground zero and praise him like how David did.

  • David Praise for many things

    • Victory was from Lord - “you must not do that with what the Lord has given us

    • Protection from God - “He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us”

    • He showed the “No partiality” to the people, he divided all the battle plunders to all 600.


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