Morning by Morning, July 17, 2026 — David “Strengthened Himself in the Lord His God”
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your leading, drawing close to You as You draw close to me (James 4:8). …
As I wait for Your leading this morning, I’m still thinking about the deep struggle of a friend reaching out for help late last night. And I’m thinking about all those in our Texas Hill Country region struggling through the rising flood waters and torrential rains.
So much struggle. And we’re so much in desperate need of our Savior.
You’re not just our Savior from sin. You’re our Savior who’s with us through every struggle. You’re our Savior who’s always reaching out to us and reminding us to reach out to You.
A word of hope rises up in my heart this morning from one of the stories of David. It’s from one of the darkest, most challenging days of struggle in his life. It’s from the day his own people were about to stone him to death in their grief and sorrow and anger at God and projected anger at him: “So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. Now 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 his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:3-6). That’s the key to the turnaround: “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (v. 6). “David inquired of the Lord” (v. 8). He sought You. He pursued You. He pressed into You as deeply as he could, trusting in You no matter what was to come. In deep humility, he willingly chose to be desperately dependent upon You alone. Not on what the people around him were saying and doing or failing to say or do. He turned to You. He inquired of You. He strengthened himself in You. And You told him to get up out of his grief and “pursue” his enemies. David called out to You and You reached out to him. David asked and You answered. You said, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all” (v. 8). So he did. Some went with him and some did not (v. 10). But he listened for Your wisdom and acted upon Your word. Then in the power of Your grace, You turned things around in his favor from places and people he didn’t expect, all along the way (v. 11-15). You strengthened his spirit and filled him with hope to overcome his enemies and take back all that was stolen from him and him people (v. 16-17): “So David recovered all.... And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all” (v. 18-19).
Not only did he recover all from that battle, but three days later David got word that King Saul was dead (2 Samuel 1:1-4). The season of one of the greatest battles in his life was coming to a close, for the next season of great blessings in his life to come, as king of his people to lead his nation in worship and service of the Lord his God who strengthened him and would strengthen them. Today, in the everyday struggles of our everyday lives, Your Word reminds us to keep turning to You, to keep trusting in You, to keep our hope and faith in You, no matter what:
“We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body” (2 Corinthians 4:7-10). “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).
You’ll get us through these struggles. We’ll even glory in these tribulations, as we look and see what You will do. We’ll overcome these battles. By the power of Your grace, we’ll be “more than conquerors through Him who loves us” (Romans 8:37). Like David, may we take time to turn to You and strengthen ourselves in the Lord our God. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged this day. In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, may you be strengthened in the Lord your God, our Savior, through every struggle you face and battle you overcome, as He keeps forming His character in you and reminding you of His ever-abiding Presence right there with you, in Jesus' name. God bless you, my friend! And you have a great day!
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Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
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Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
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