1 Samuel 30:3-4 When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep..
Who said mighty men don’t cry? David, the fierce warrior, and his fearless mighty army wailed and wept until they had no more tears left. But David did not remain in the rut of his regret; he found a prayer-closet among the ruins and rubbles of the ravage. While the other men were agitated, astringent and anguished, David poured out his tears into the hands of the Lord. The regret of David’s team soon turned into rebellion and rage but David stopped sobbing with people and slipped into the prayer corner to cry on the arms of the Almighty. His tears in the prayer-closet turned into strength and strategies. But David found strength in the Lord his God (1 Samuel 30:6b). Tears of lament don’t become weaponry but tears in the prayer-closet turn into ammunition that will overthrow the enemy and recover everything that the adversary had stolen.
David had taken refuge in the Philistine territory while Saul, the King of Israel, was hunting for David. In the course of time war broke out between the Philistines and Israelites and David went to fight alongside the Philistines. Even though Saul had disobeyed God, Israel was still His covenant nation; His chosen people. He will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which He confirmed to them by oath (Deuteronomy 4:31). David went to fight against God’s covenantal people thereby he left an open door for the enemy to attack his dear ones. While David and the mighty men were away with the Philistines, the Amalekites furtively attacked their village, Ziglag. They destroyed the town with fire and carried away the women and the children as captives. The strong soldiers drowned themselves in tears at the loss of their family but David shed tears in the prayer-closet.
Tears in the prayer-closet turn into artillery:
1. Derogation: David was talented, armed and anointed as the next king of Israel yet God did not give him a derogation/exception to go against Israel. The ruling king Saul had disobeyed and displeased the Lord yet the covenant of the Lord was not revoked. The garrison of the Philistines was only a temporary asylum for David and his wrong decision to accompany the Philistines opened the door for the enemy’s attack. “Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets” (Psalm 105:15). There will be no derogation to God’s covenant even if God’s servants disobey – God will deal with their disobedience.
2. Depression: Tears of depression turn into passion in the prayer closet. David’s sobs turned into strategy.
3. Direction: Tears of dissolution will turn into divine direction in the prayer corner. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue” (vs 7b). Prayer turns tears into tenacity.
Tears in the prayer-closet turn into passion, tenacity and divine direction.
1 Samuel 30:7b “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”
Prayer: Dearest Lord Jesus, may my tears never turn into bitterness but become divine weaponry to defeat the enemy who comes to steal, kill and destroy. Amen.
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