Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David's two wives were taken captives....And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake 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 30:4-6)

David was greatly distressed, not only because he lost his loved ones, but because his men spoke of stoning him. Because David was the leader, they blamed him for leaving Ziklag and going with the Philistines. David had made a great blunder.

Most folk think of David as the shepherd boy who slew Goliath. Also they remember the black side of his life, the great sin he committed with Bathsheba. What they don't realize is that David was very much a human being like the rest of us. He made many blunders just like we do. He made a mistake when he left Israel to live among the Philistines. Now his men are ready to stone him "because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters." Notice they do not seem to be grieving for their wives. Do you know why? They think their wives have been slain but that their children are still alive.

As the common colloquialism says it, David was between a rock and a hard place. He was between the devil and the deep blue sea. He was in a bad spot. He has lost his loved ones. His own followers, under this great emotional strain of having lost their loved ones, want to stone him. "But David encouraged himself in the LORD his God." This is one of the most wonderful statements ever made.

Friend, there are times in our lives when the circumstances will not produce any joy or happiness. There are times when we find ourselves in dark places, like David. We look about, and the situation looks hopeless. What should we do? Be discouraged? Give up? Say we are through? Friend, if we are children of God, we will encourage ourselves in the Lord. We will turn to Him at times like this. Sometimes the Lord puts us in such a spot so we will turn to Him. He wants to make Himself real to us. It was during times like these that David wrote some of his most helpful psalms. When troubles come, you can thumb your way through the Psalms and find where David is encouraging himself in the Lord. Several times he says, "The LORD is good...Let the redeemed of the LORD say so."

--From Edited Messages on 1 Samuel by J. Vernon