We have all known those that appear to be overwhelmingly controlled by their emotions. King David was a man who seemed to move from one emotion to another throughout his life. Even before he became king of Israel, he was loved and praised by his people. When he would take his army into battle and return as the conquering hero, his emotional highs were extraordinarily evident. But he also experienced emotional lows, and it is almost as though you can see the stain of his tears of discouragement on the pages of those scriptural accounts.
Once after experiencing a string of military victories, he returned to find that his enemy had invaded his home, destroyed it and taken his family and many others captive. He and his men fell to the ground weeping until their tears had run dry. The scriptures tell us,
”And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” (1 Samuel 30:6)
Because of his many life experiences, David knew to whom he should turn. Even when the people threatened to stone him, he chose to “encourage himself in the Lord his God.” After inquiring of the Lord, he received his instructions to pursue his enemy and was able to recover both his family and the others as well.
William Arthur Ward wrote, “Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will never forget you.” David had been encouraged countless times by his God, so that is where he just naturally ran.
We live in a time when so many are discouraged and downtrodden. It seems that they all are longing to be encouraged. A little boy excitedly told his dad, “Let’s play darts. I will throw, and you can yell, ‘Wonderful!”’ Everyone needs to hear that they are getting something right from time to time. There is coming a day when the words that all who long to be with their Heavenly Father will finally be spoken. I suppose the greatest question of all has yet to be answered. Will they be spoken to you and to me?
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Matthew 25:21