#4 Moments of Hope with Pastor Jerry Rice

In 1 Samuel 30 we read the story of David and his men returning from battle only to discover that their home base of Ziklag had been burned to the ground by the Amalekites. David’s men began to weep because they did not know if they would ever see their wives and children again. In their grief, the men turned against King David and spoke of stoning him because of their bitterness. They were looking for someone to blame. It would be easy for us to do the same right now. People throughout the country are suffering. Some are dying. Some are losing jobs. Healthcare workers are working overtime. People at nursery homes are lonely. Women are giving birth without any family to support them. People are having to cancel birthday parties, weddings, and conferences. It’s not an easy time. Bitterness and the propensity to cast blame on others is perhaps stronger than ever when we are suffering the most.
David was also grieving because his family was among those missing. But instead of trying to blame others, David’s inclination was to pray and ask God if he should pursue the Amalekites. God told David to pursue “for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.” Therefore, David and his men went to find their families. After a long battle, the Bible says that “David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken.”
So many people have already lost so much. But as Christians we believe that we can call on God to help us recover what we have lost. Only God will be able to heal, restore, and recover what has been lost during this pandemic.
The same God that David inquired of is available to us today. Let us not seek to blame. Let us not attack our fellow man. Let us instead pray that God will help us as individuals, America, and the whole world so that, like David, we may recover it all.