He’s already taken today’s struggles into account and will use them for our good. In His sovereign hands, our greatest obstacles become stepping stones toward tomorrow’s God-assigned tasks.
When life feels overwhelming, we need a strength greater than our most intense challenges. Thankfully, we have instant and constant access to the God who promised to empower us to overcome our biggest difficulties.
Scripture provides numerous examples of God enabling His people to stand firm in His truth, His ways, and His might in the face of devastating circumstances. David, ancient Israel’s second king, demonstrated numerous practices that now help fortify even the most timid and fatigued soul.
Consider his behavior in 1 Samuel 30. This was during David’s “fugitive years”—the decade-plus period prior to assuming the throne, in which he fled from a relentless homicidal man named Saul.
At one point, David felt so threatened that he sought refuge in Gath, located in Philistine territory. This was the very city from which Goliath, the warrior David slayed years earlier, came. You can probably envision how intense his fear must’ve been to drive him into enemy land.
During this time, he and six hundred men who’d joined him began raiding surrounding land occupied by other people groups. Wanting to gain favor with the Philistine king, and to appear less of a threat, David told him that he’d attacked Judah. The Philistine king believed him, saying, “He has become so obnoxious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant for life” (NIV).
Strength Comes Through Guidance
But then, after trying unsuccessfully to join the Philistines in battle (likely to strengthen their image as allies), David and his troop returned home to find it “destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive” (1 Sam. 30:3, NIV). The men became so upset that they wanted to stone David. Their anguish provoked a “fight” response that overrode rational thought. But verse six tells us that “David found strength in the Lord His God.” The most obvious way he did that in this passage was by seeking God’s perspective on the situation.
Although outnumbered, humanly speaking, David knew he wasn’t alone. He belonged to his ever-present, all-powerful, faithful Father. He sought His wisdom rather than becoming paralyzed by fear or succumbing to an overwhelming internal debate.
When we’re alert to God’s guidance, however, we can advance, even when under attack, knowing the Lord leads our every step. Without this, we tend to land in a mental tug-of-war that leaves us increasingly uncertain, with stress hormones saturating our body, and decreased emotional capacity.
Whereas confusion, and the frantic thinking it often provokes, drains us, the Holy Spirit's wisdom fortifies our souls.
Trusting God’s Promises Bring Strength
However, listening for God’s voice in times of chaos wasn’t the only way David “strengthened himself in the Lord” (1 Samuel 30:6). His words recorded throughout the Psalms reveal numerous practices that bolstered his grit when caught in panic-evoking scenarios. He also regularly reflected upon God’s promises and His power and faithfulness to bring them to pass.
In Psalm 138:8, he wrote that the Lord would vindicate him, or as the ESV phrases it, “…will fulfill his purpose for me.” In Psalm 139, he declared that “all the days ordained for [him] were written in [God’s] book before one of them came to be” (NIV). Therefore, while at times his life, no doubt, felt disordered and tumultuous, the One who formed him, went before him, and had anointed him as king remained in control. The Lord would complete everything that concerned David.
Scripture tells us Jesus will do the same for us. Early in my writing journey, while experiencing one rejection and “closed door” after another, I regularly experienced renewed perseverance through the truths recorded in Ephesians 2:10. This verse states, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (NIV). When discouraged, I’d prayerfully reflect on each phrase, beginning with the realization that I was the work of God’s hand. The NLT says we are His “masterpiece”—more intentionally and carefully formed than the Sistine Chapel or Michelangelo’s La Pietà—to, in turn, create beauty. And God assigned those life-giving works to us in advance—before we took our first breath, received our first setback, or made our biggest mistake.
He’s already taken today’s struggles into account and will use them for our good. In His sovereign hands, our greatest obstacles become stepping stones toward tomorrow’s God-assigned tasks. The Lord also promises to complete the good work He began in us when we accepted His gift of salvation (Philippians 1:6) and to give us everything we need to live as He desires (2 Peter 1:3).
We Find Strength in God’s Presence
As I consider David’s ability to remain steadfast, even when under relentless attack, I’m struck by his constant connection with the Lord. He prioritized his relationship with God above all else, including personal safety or success. In Psalm 61, he referred to the Lord as a strong tower against his enemy. In Psalm 62, he declared, “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. … he is my mighty rock, my refuge” (vs. 1-2, emphasis mine).
In the next chapter, he wrote, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you” (Psalm 63:1, NIV), proclaiming that His love was better than life (v. 3). Therefore, David clung to Him, knowing that God’s right hand, a Hebrew euphemism denoting strength, upheld him.
These statements remind me of Jesus’ words in John 15:4-5, which read, "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (NIV).
This analogy indicates that we receive Christ’s power through our continual connection with and reliance upon Him. This involves spending time in prayer, in silence, reading Scripture, learning to sense and staying alert to His presence throughout the day, and yielding to His will. As we respond to His Spirit within us, His influence over our soul increases, as does our strength.
God Miraculously Empowers Us
We also see in David’s life as a mighty warrior and throughout Scripture that God infuses His children with supernatural strength. As a youth, the Lord enabled David to fend off lions and bears that tried to attack his father’s sheep and gave him victory over a massive, well-trained, experienced, and heavily armed Philistine named Goliath. In Acts, Christ allowed a man named Stephen to remain calm and loving while being stoned and a first-century missionary named Paul to get up and walk away after experiencing the same brutality.
While these accounts defy human explanation, they verify a reality possessed by every Christ-follower, affirmed in Ephesians 1:18-20. According to this passage, we possess resurrection power within. As David wrote in Psalm 18:28-29, the Lord keeps our lamp burning and turns our darkness into light. With His help, we “can advance against a troop” and “scale a wall.”
While we might at times feel weak, we who love Christ possess His might flowing in and through us. Our experience of this strength increases as we seek His guidance, trust His promises, prioritize His presence, and rely, increasingly, on His power infused within our souls. As we seek to honor Him, we can advance in confidence, no matter the challenge, knowing we are far from victims. We are overcomers who belong to—and are upheld by—the victorious Savior.
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Jennifer Slattery is a writer and speaker who co-hosts the Faith Over Fear podcast and, along with a team of 6, the Your Daily Bible Verse podcast. She’s addressed women’s groups, Bible studies, and taught at writers conferences across the nation. She’s the author of Building a Family and numerous other titles and maintains a devotional blog at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLou
She’s passionate about helping people experience Christ’s freedom in all areas of their lives. Visit her online to learn more about her speaking or to book her for your next women’s event, and sign up for her free quarterly newsletter HERE and make sure to connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and GodTube.
