Skip to main content

Unity in Adversity



1 Samuel 22:1–5

Distress can unite people. In difficult moments, in shared pain, we discover our true friends. When David fled from King Saul, his divided family was suddenly supportive of him, as was every man in the region who was distressed or indebted (1 Sam 22:1–2; cp. 1 Sam 17:28–30). A shared sense of despair reveals the humanity in us all, helping us to get past our disputes and work together for one purpose.

For a fragmented band of brothers to be united beyond their immediate circumstance, they must have one purpose. That’s exactly what David them: They would fight Israel’s greatest enemies - the Philistines - together (1 Sam 23:1–5). David took a crisis and turned it into an opportunity. It took courage derived from faith to act. When most people would have been paralyzed by fear, David was prepared for action. David’s strength in adversity enabled him to unite God’s people for a purpose, and his God-centered focus helped them.


When things get difficult, we should be aware of how we are being subtly drawn away from God’s work. If we can stay focused on Christ, we can stay focused on God’s purposes. Then we will find the ability to  move forward in God's will. We need the same response: Focus on God and His work!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The River of God - Key Scriptures From the Threshold of the Temple The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side. As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in--a river that no one could cross. He asked me, "S...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ekids - Week 4 (Shield of Faith)

Bible Story Page (4-5) “Exploring Canaan” (Numbers 13-14) GIVE each child a paper plate and a coloring utensil. Then, SAY: ALLOW kids to put plates on top of heads. Then, READ the story below. ALLOW kids to look at their drawings and score them based on the numbers below: In Numbers 13-14, there is a story about two men who relied on their faith in God to protect their hearts when everyone else was weakr. As I read this Bible story, I will give you instructions about what to draw on your plate! BUT…you have to put the plate on top of your head while you draw! A long time ago, God’s people, the Israelites, were slaves in Egypt. But God used a man named Moses to free them from slavery and lead them to the amazing land that God promised them. After being in the desert for many years, Moses and the Israelites finally arrived at Canaan, the land that God had promised to give them. Moses chose 12 men to go into the land. He wanted them to see what it looked like, if...
Post a Comment
Read more