WHEN THERE IS NO ONE LEFT TO ENCOURAGE YOU

“But David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” — 1 Samuel 30:6

What keeps you going?

Ask that question today and you will hear all kinds of answers.

Responsibility. Recognition. Achievement. Career advancement. Personal growth. Family. Financial security. Connection with others. Independence. Goals. Dreams.

All of these can motivate us.

But what happens when motivation isn't enough?

What happens when the promotion doesn't come?

When nobody recognizes your efforts?

When the people you depended upon disappoint you?

When you've achieved something you worked years to accomplish—and discover that the emptiness inside is still there?

There are places within the human heart that external accomplishments simply cannot reach.

We need stability when everything around us is shaking.

We need direction when we don't know which way to turn.

We need encouragement when nobody seems to understand.

We need companionship when loneliness becomes overwhelming.

And we need to know that somewhere, somehow, we belong.

That is where David found himself in 1 Samuel 30.

WHEN EVERYTHING FELL APART

David and his men returned to Ziklag and discovered that their city had been burned and their families had been taken captive.

The Bible tells us that David and his men wept until they had no more strength to weep.

Then things became even worse.

The very men who had fought beside David began talking about stoning him.

Think about that.

His home was gone.

His family had been taken.

His men were grieving.

His leadership was being questioned.

And now the people closest to him were turning against him.

David could not look around himself for encouragement because there wasn't any.

But Scripture records one remarkable sentence:

“But David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” — 1 Samuel 30:6

David looked somewhere else.

He looked up.

SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO ENCOURAGE YOURSELF

There will be moments when nobody calls.

Nobody texts.

Nobody asks whether you're okay.

Nobody realizes how tired you are.

Nobody sees the battle taking place behind your smile.

And nobody understands just how close you are to saying,

“I've had enough.”

Those are the moments when you must learn what David learned:

There is strength available in God that does not depend upon what is happening around you.

People can encourage you—and thank God for people who do.

But people cannot always be there.

Circumstances can make you happy—but circumstances change.

Money can provide comfort—but money cannot provide peace.

Achievement can bring satisfaction—but yesterday's achievement cannot fight today's battle.

There comes a point when every believer must learn how to lean on God.

And learning when and how to lean on Him is a lifelong, day-to-day journey for every one of us.

“I CAN'T—BUT GOD CAN”

There is tremendous freedom in finally admitting:

“Lord, I can't do this by myself.”

We sometimes treat those words like an admission of defeat.

They aren't.

They are an admission of dependence.

I can't—but God can.

I don't know the way—but God does.

I don't have enough strength—but God does.

I cannot see tomorrow—but God is already there.

David wrote:

“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken...” — Psalm 37:25

That doesn't mean God's people never experience difficulty.

David certainly did.

It means that difficulty does not equal abandonment.

You may be walking through something difficult today, but God has not walked away from you.

WHERE ARE YOUR THOUGHTS THIS MORNING?

One of the most important battles you will fight today will take place before you ever leave the house.

It will happen in your mind.

What gets your first thoughts?

Your problems?

Your bank account?

Yesterday's argument?

Today's schedule?

Tomorrow's uncertainty?

Or God?

Isaiah 26:3 says:

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

I love beginning my day with my mind stayed on the things of God.

Before the noise begins.

Before the demands start arriving.

Before the world begins telling me what I should worry about.

I want God's Word speaking first.

That's one reason I begin each morning by reading a page from our ministry's daily devotional, Words of Encouragement (4th Edition).

Not because every morning is difficult.

But because I don't know what every day will bring.

And neither do you.

📖 Words of Encouragement (4th Edition) — James Langston

View Words of Encouragement (4th Edition) on Amazon

WHY NOT JOIN ME?

Tomorrow morning, before you begin chasing the day, give God the first few minutes.

Open your Bible.

Read a devotional.

Pray.

Sit quietly before Him.

Ask:

“Lord, what do You want me to remember today?”

Then carry that truth with you.

When frustration comes—remember it.

When someone tests your patience—remember it.

When plans fall apart—remember it.

When loneliness whispers that nobody cares—remember it.

When fear tells you that you won't make it—remember it.

And when you reach that moment when you simply don't know whether you have enough strength to continue...

Remember David.

Everything around him said:

QUIT.

But David did something different.

He encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

BEFORE YOU START YOUR DAY

Father,

Before we face everything waiting for us today, we turn our hearts toward You.

Some reading this are strong today.

Others are barely holding on.

Some are surrounded by people and still feel terribly alone.

Some need direction.

Some need stability.

Some simply need enough encouragement to take the next step.

Lord, become what circumstances cannot provide.

When our strength fails, be our strength.

When our direction becomes unclear, order our steps.

When loneliness surrounds us, remind us of Your presence.

When fear speaks, let Your Word speak louder.

And when we reach the place where we must admit, “I can't,” remind us that the sentence doesn't end there.

I can't—but God can.

Keep our minds stayed upon You.

Give us Your peace.

And help us encourage ourselves in You when there is nobody else around to do it.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

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The world will give you plenty to think about today.

Give God your thoughts first.

The world will give you plenty to worry about.

Give God your worries first.

And when today's challenges arrive, don't depend exclusively upon what is happening around you to determine what happens within you.

Encourage yourself in the Lord.

Why not join me each morning as we traverse life's challenges together—one day, one prayer, and one word of encouragement at a time?

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HELP US HELP THEM—ONE SOUL AT A TIME.

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