Have you ever been to Ziklag? 

I Samuel 30:6 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. 

Let me ask you something, have you ever been to Ziklag? Oh, I don’t mean the place, I mean the condition because I bet that everyone of us at some time in our life have felt like we were in Ziglag. The Hebrew meaning for the word Ziklag means pressed down or it can mean trouble. Have you ever been there? I bet you have. But it was an actual place in Judea, and that was the first mention of it. It was part of the inheritance of the tribe of Judah. It had not been conquered by the Israelites before the time of David. 

During the years that King Saul was trying to kill David it was under the control of the Philistines. David fled for his life along with 600 men and their households to that Philistine territory. While there, the Philistine King gave David and his men and household Ziklag as a base of operation for military exploits against the Amalekites. 

While David and his men were away attempting to join the Philistine Army to fight against Saul, the Amalekite raiders attacked Ziklag. When David and his men returned to Ziklag and found his city had been burned down and all its inhabitants’ taken hostage. That included all the women and children and included David’s wives. 

His men blamed David for what had happened, as if they had not been away, they could have prevented the great lose. Then in a daring rescue, David and his men pursued and defeated the raiders, recovering all that had been taken, including David’s two wives Ahinoam and Abigail.   

When this was going on where could David turn for comfort and hope? He could not turn to those around him, for it was them who blamed him for this terrible situation. So, where did he turn? Where do you turn when you feel you are up against a wall and there is no door?  

The Bible tells us that in the midst of this situation that “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” 

When you and I don’t know where to turn and when every possible solution has been tried, then like most of us it should have been our first thought, then we will turn to the Lord. Not realizing that Jesus told us, that with men it is impossible but with God all things are possible. Or how about Ephesians 3:20? Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 

When a child of God finds himself or herself in Ziklag comfort yourself in the Lord.  Ok, Lee how do you do that? Let me make a couple of suggestions. First, I would recommend a prayer journal and that each day you right down the things that you have prayed about. Then, when the Lord has answered those prayer write down the date and how He had answered them. Then when you are faced with something go back and review how the Lord has responded in your life. Second, the Bible tells us in the Book of Hebrews about an Anchor Verse, that verse that you have found is the one thing that holds fast in the midst of your storm. 

Pastor Lee Cruse, who at many times has found himself in Ziklag and while I would never want to go back through those experiences again, I have found that it was in those time the Lord walked with me and I have learned to not take them for granted.