What to Do When a Crisis Comes
I Samuel 30 
By Dave Redick
Hwy 20 Church of Christ, Sweet Home, OR

Let's take stock here. When we've despaired and expressed our anger and blamed others, are we better off or worse? What has been done to resolve the crisis? Nothing! The despair hasn't helped. The anger hasn't helped. The blaming hasn't helped. It never does. That is why we're looking at this passage. These things, though common, are nonproductive.

Introduction

Imagine you are driving home from a stressful day of work and as you turn onto the road where you live, you see that both lanes have been cordoned off and a policeman stops you. "What's the problem, officer?" you ask. He informs you that there is a fire up ahead and that no traffic is being allowed beyond the barricade. At that you notice the smoke rising from behind the trees up ahead. You had been so occupied with your own thoughts that you hadn't noticed it before. "Can you tell me what it is that is burning? Is it a house or a business?" you ask. "I live up there." "It's a house." A trickle of fear runs through your mind. "Do you have an address?" "Just a moment," the officer says. He reaches into his patrol car and picks a notebook off the dashboard. "3335 Maple," he reads from the paper. That's your house! And, as far as you know, your wife and kids are in it! How do you respond to the crises of life?

Of course the crisis might not be a fire. It might be the death of a close family member. It might be the loss of a job by the breadwinner. It might be that you find out your grandson has AIDS, or your unmarried daughter is pregnant or your parents are getting a divorce or your spouse has been having an affair. It might be that your doctor calls you into his office to inform you that you have cancer. Such issues often show where we really are (and aren't) in our walk with God. They can be times of great accomplishment and an opportunity to testify for the validity of the Christian life. They can also be times fraught with great danger if we are not living close to God and, as a result, resort to the ways of the world in dealing with them. How do you handle the crises of life?

I have always found God's Word to be extremely helpful when life gets tough. I hope you have, too. In this message I want to look at a passage of Scripture that describes one of the great heroes of our faith in a time of crisis. I want us all to see how he handled it.

Please join me in I Samuel 30. We'll look at the entire chapter.

The time is roughly a thousand years before Christ. The story concerns David, before he became the king of Israel. Though God had promised him through the prophet Samuel that he would someday be the king, circumstances had made it look as though that promise might never be fulfilled. Samuel, the prophet who anointed David, had died and Saul, the present king, was still very much alive and on the throne. In jealousy and fear, Saul was trying to hunt David down to kill him. This had gone on not for days or weeks, but for years. Each effort David made to try to get Saul to understand that he wasn't trying to steal the throne was misunderstood and rejected. David had barely escaped with his life on several occasions.

That kind of thing can wear a person down eventually, and that is what had happened with David. He had been joined by 600 men who were outcasts and outlaws of Saul's kingdom. In the course of time, he organized this unlikely group of misfits into a small fighting force called by the Bible, "David's Mighty Men." It was an unlikely group, if there ever were one, held together only by David's extraordinary leadership skills.

It was a time of great pressure for the Son of Jesse. The stress was taking its toll. He had passed up an opportunity to kill Saul and end it all, hoping that this would change the heart of the King. It only made things worse. In the vacuum left by the death of Samuel, Saul was consulting mediums and not the Lord. It wasn't long before the manhunt resumed.

In chapter 27, David finally reached what he thought was the end of his rope. (I say "thought" because later, like some of us, he would regret his decision.) He leaves Israel and defects to the army of the archenemy of his people, the Philistines. At least he would be safer there, so he thought. In an agreement with the king of Gath (that's Goliath's old city, by the way) David begins to fight alongside the enemies of Israel. Raid after raid is made over a period of sixteen months, each of them solidifying even more that David has truly defected and is loyal to the king of Gath. On one occasion, he was nearly forced to attack his own people in a raid on Judah. Then the crisis hit. When the generals of the Philistines wouldn't trust David to fight alongside them against his own people, he returned to Ziklag of the Philistines where he had left his family and the families of his men. We pick up the story there.

(Read 30:1)

Ziklag, as I've already mentioned, is David's home. When it mentions "the third day" there, it refers to the hard three-day ride they had just made from the battle front where they had been, fighting on the side of the Philistines. Now, as they near Ziklag they see that it has been sacked and burned to the ground by the Amalekites.

(Read v. 2-3)

I don't know that you could find a crisis any more grave than this one. What can we do when a crisis comes? First, I suppose,

I. We Can Do What Most People Do.

We can do what we see these people doing here. We can:

A. Despair.

(Read v. 4)

That is probably the most common response to such a crisis that there is. Who hasn't, at one point or another, "lost it" emotionally in a time of extreme distress?

The news arrives and you're in shock. You're dumbfounded. You're incapacitated. There aren't enough tears in you to adequately supply the crying. Or - if you're not one who cries easily, you just zone out. You withdraw into your cave. You don't speak. You don't respond. Men are sometimes more prone to this later reaction than women, though not in every case.

I would be the last person to ever suggest that this is somehow a wrong response to tragic news like we see here. I've seen some of you go through it. I've been there as well - and, as long as, sooner or later, we get a grip on ourselves, probably nothing is lost. We see even Jesus, in His humanity, extremely distressed in Gethsemene - sweating, as it were, great drops of blood. But He didn't stay there.

It is a time when we need understanding and support from those who love us and care about us. Sometimes such support comes in the form of encouraging words, sometimes just by "being there" and saying little or nothing. Notice that David was right there in the middle of the despair, according to verse 4.

If we do what many people do in time of crisis, we may also:

B. Be Angry.

Read v. 6a)

"This shouldn't be happening" we think. "I don't like this!" Then, close on the heals of anger, sometimes we may:

C. Look for Someone to Blame.

Who is being blamed here? David! He's the leader. He's the one who led them into the land of the Philistines (never mind the fact that each of them chose to follow David.) That doesn't count. When you're distressed in a crisis and angry, it is very common to look for someone to blame. Sometimes it is a leader.

Yes, in a crisis, we can do all these things and we'll find little opposition to our actions because that's the way nearly everybody in the world does it, so we'll find plenty of understanding.

But let's take stock here. When we've despaired and expressed our anger and blamed others, are we better off or worse? What has been done to resolve the crisis? Nothing! The despair hasn't helped. The anger hasn't helped. The blaming hasn't helped. It never does. That is why we're looking at this passage. These things, though common, are nonproductive.

Suppose they had vented their anger. Suppose they had picked up stones and killed David. Would it have made a difference? Would it have brought their loved ones and their property back?

Here is where we see David begin to distinguish himself as being someone worthy of our attention. You see, in a crisis, we can do all the things these people did,

II. Or We Can Do What David Did.

(Read v. 6)

A. We Can Strengthen Ourselves in the Lord.

That is something David had not done for some time. Remember that he has been living in the enemy camp for sixteen months. He has allowed his relationship with God to wane. Now all that becomes very evident to him.

Why is it that a crisis will drive one person toward God for help and another person away from God into the ways of the world?

It is because character is not made in a time of crisis, it is only exhibited. The crisis merely brings out what we really are, for all to see. Though David's faith had flagged for a year and four months, underneath his frustration with Saul and all the miserable circumstances, it was still there, waiting for the crisis to force him to chose which road he would take.

How was that last crisis you faced? Did it drive you to your knees to renew your walk with God? I think it is significant to note here who is doing the moving. "David strengthened himself in the Lord His God." It wasn't God who had moved out of position. It was David! He knew he must strengthen himself in the Lord. It is often that way with us. If you sit there waiting for God to renew your walk, you'll wait in vain. You are the one needing to act.

If you are in the midst of a crisis right now, it is a great time to strengthen yourself in your relationship with God.

Also, if we do what David did in the crisis, we will

B. Seek the Lord's Guidance and Not Resort to Our Own Devises.

(Read v. 7-8)

The "ephod" was a priestly garment that some say looked like an apron, worn during Old Testament times when one was seeking the Lord's will. While it isn't clear just how this was done, it always was associated with seeking God's guidance and, for those times, as we see here, it had some miraculous powers associated.

Today we don't have an ephod with which to seek the Lord's will. There is no such thing in the New Covenant. But we certainly can seek the Lord's guidance. We can go to Christ, our Great Mediator, and lay our situation out before Him. He has commanded us to "cast all [our] anxieties on Him." He has also promised to answer our prayers. We can also go to His written word for guidance and to those we know who are well versed in that written word. Perhaps the worst thing we could do in time of crisis is to depend on our own judgment implicitly. Stress tends to distort reality. We can benefit from a second (godly) opinion.

Also, in the time of crisis, we can

C. Take Calculated and Rational Action

Having passed the time when his emotions were ruling, David is now back to making decisions with his head rather than his feelings. In many cases, those in a crisis really need someone who can keep a cool head and a steady hand - someone who hasn't fallen to pieces emotionally.

Some years ago a mother in Scotland rescued her little boy from what would have been sure death. Workmen were blasting rock in a quarry. One day after they had attached the fuse, withdrawn to a safe distance, and sounded the alarm, this little three year old child wandered into the open space between them and the live charges. It was too late to stop the charge. Every passing second meant death was closing in on the child.

The workmen called to the child and waved their arms in a frantic attempt to get him to come to them, but he only looked at their strange antics with amusement. No man dared run forward knowing the explosion was only seconds away. The child most certainly would have been killed, had not his cool-headed mother appeared at this moment of crisis.

Taking in the situation at a glance and not falling apart in the emotion of the moment, she acted quickly, calmly and wisely. She didn't run toward her son like many might have done, or yell to frighten him. Instead, she knelt down, opened her arms wide, and smiled for him to come. Instantly the little boy ran toward her. Seconds later, the area shook with the force of the explosion, but the little boy was safe in his mother's arms.

A cool head and a steady hand in time of crisis. That is what is needed. That is what David provided for himself and his men. That's why his example is so good.

(Read v. 9-10)

You may recall that I mentioned earlier that these men had ridden a hard three days before they came to the smoking remains of Ziklag. Prior to that they had been on the battlefield. Then they passed through this intense period of grief and despair. Then they mounted their horses and pursued the Amalekites. It was too much for 200 of the men. They were too exhausted to go on, so they stayed behind to guard the baggage.

What follows is the account of David's finding and overtaking the army that had burned their homes and taken their families. I won't read the details. Drop down to verse 18.

(Read v. 18-19)

Just as God had predicted, everything and everyone was reclaimed. But that isn't the end of the story. As they were coming back from the battle, they were met by the 200 men who had stayed behind.

(Read v. 21-25)

In a crisis then, we can do what many people do: despair, get angry, blame others, OR we can do what David did: strengthen ourselves in the Lord, seek His guidance instead of resorting to our own devises, and take calm, calculated, rational action. If we choose to strive to do as David did here, we may well be blessed with a resolution of the crisis.

When and if God blesses us and delivers us through the crisis, we must realize we're not finished. There is something else to consider.

It would have been easy for David to take some of the glory for this great success himself. He could simply have said, "You guys were going to stone me. Now aren't you glad you didn't? You wouldn't have had me to lead you and bring about this present result." But he didn't do that! Instead he gave the glory to God and gave those who had stayed behind the same grace he knew God had given him.

When the crisis is past and things have settled down,

III. We Can Remember God's Grace and Be Gracious to Others.

For those "wicked and worthless men among those who went with David," it was payback time! Those who stayed behind didn't fight so they shouldn't get any of the spoils. Further, they should be driven out of the camp.

David, once again doing things that were so different than what people typically do, would have none of it, neither would he let it happen. "They'll get the same share as all of us do." To David, God had granted him grace and now he would grant grace to others. Receiving God's grace allows us to be gracious to others. Those who stayed behind didn't deserve this. David gave it to them. How could he do that? Because he realized that He didn't deserve the victory God had given him. (Remember, he had been fighting on the enemy side for 16 months!) God just gave it to him. When we are mindful of God's generosity to us, it makes us generous to others. If you find yourself siding with those "wicked and worthless men" of David's in situations like this, you need to examine your understanding of Grace! If you are one who often objects to others receiving God's benefits freely because they haven't "born the heat of the day," you need to examine your understanding of Grace.

Conclusion

Chuck Swindoll¹ told the following story. I was unable to tell whether he was actually a participant in it or was telling it about another. He said,

"It was a routine flight, and normally a boring affair. The kind of flights I like -- uneventful. But this one proved to be otherwise.

"Descending to the destination, the pilot realized the landing gear refused to engage. He worked the controls back and forth, trying again and again to make the gear lock down into place. No success. He then asked the control tower for instructions as he circled the landing field. Responding to the crisis, airport personnel sprayed the runway with foam as fire trucks and other emergency vehicles moved into position. Disaster was only minutes away.

"The passengers, meanwhile, were told of each maneuver in that calm, cheery voice pilots manage to use at times like this. Flight attendants glided about the cabin with an air of cool reserve. Passengers were told to place their heads between their knees and grab their ankles just before impact. It was one of those I-can't-believe- this-is-happening-to-me experiences. There were tears, no doubt, and a few screams of despair. The landing was now seconds away.

"Suddenly the pilot announced over the intercom:

'We are beginning our final descent. At this moment, in accordance with International Aviation Codes established at Geneva, it is my obligation to inform you that if you believe in God you should commence prayer."

Swindoll continues, "I'm happy to report that the belly landing occurred without a hitch. No one was injured and, aside from some rather extensive damage to the plane, the airline hardly remembered the incident. In fact, a relative of one of the passengers called the airline the very next day and asked about the prayer rule the pilot had quoted. No one volunteered any information on the subject. Back to that cool reserve, it was simply, 'No comment.'"

It may be today before you get home. It may be tomorrow or next week or next year when the crisis comes. But come it will. As one observant person has said, "The only people who do not have crises are those in cemeteries."

Yes, come it will, and we will have the opportunity to choose the way we handle it - either man's way or God's way. I commend to you God's way…

1. Chuck Swindoll, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life. [Back]

Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.

Copyright © 1996-2008 by The Preacher's Study. Permission is granted to subscribers to use this document in total or in sermon preparation in the context of the local congregation only. Publishing it in a book, on the Internet, or anyplace beyond the local congregation is prohibited.

All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

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