The Anxiety Series: Overcoming Tragedy

Two impossible tragedies visited great men at the same time... How these men reacted to the impossibility is what set them apart... David's tragedy was that his wife and children were captured by an evil nation's army.. When David's soldiers returned to their homes, their entire city was torched and all of their families were kidnapped...

King Saul had a tragedy as well... the Philistines, without their giant, had killed all 3 of Saul's sons and captured his entire army...Saul would now never have an heir take the throne... so he handled this adversity.. his way... and took his own life... Without any hope, or reason to live.. this annointed king... who seemingly had at all... suddenly found his life to be meaningless...

David could have made this same cowardly decision... instead... despite his dispair.. and the "unfairness of life", he called on God to lead him... this fugitive warrior... who lived each day being pursued by enemies... never lost hope... never sold out to the enemy.. never gave up on his faith in a God that was more powerful than any man... than even a great army...

David took his 400 men and pursued his enemies... God blessed him for his faith and David's wife and family and all of his soldier's families were rescued...

The difference between King Saul and David was their faith... you can own a kingdom, live in a palace, have all the "gold and silver" and yet... life is meaningless without faith...

Saul's anxiety led him to the grave... David fought his anxiety... he took 'every thought captive"... instead of running from the tragedy.. hiding and becoming bitter... he ran towards his fear... took ownership of the task that lie ahead... and did not let a capture, the risk of death, the unfairness of life... become his eulogy.. instead.. the adversity... became David's victory.... It would lead the way.. to his eventual employ... as King of Israel...

May we never fall on our sword... and retreat... may we always like David.. fight for justice... and for hope... victory is ours when we stop blaming God... demanding answers... and embrace the truth... that without God... we will never truly live.....

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