Month: July 2017

Recap: Returning from battle to their home in Ziklag, David and his warriors found the city deserted and in ruins. Their enemies the Amalekites had taken their women and children captive, and then torched the city. Israel’s future king had failed the men who trusted and followed him. His warriors had lost their wives, and their sons and daughters. Their future seemed dim, their great dream lost in the ashes. Disillusioned and in deep despair, David’s men suffered an emotional meltdown at Ziklag. In fact, they wanted to stone their leader! (1 Samuel 30:6)

Fellow dreamers and creators, throughout this journey called life, as we pursue our dreams, we will face many “Ziklag” situations. If we’re going to reach our goals and fulfill our visions for the future — if we want to become “giant killers” and history-makers — we’ll need to respond to the “Ziklag”s of life the same way King David did.

A “Ziklag” (as previously discussed) is an overwhelming challenge or problem, an extreme obstacle or crisis. It’s a daunting set of circumstances, an impossible situation, or any major storm we may face in life. Depending on your emotional resilience (or lack thereof) your Ziklag could range from a life-changing problem to which you can see no possible solution, to something more common to creators and dreamers, such as another rejection, a closed door, a setback, a betrayal, or simply a lack of support and encouragement from the people you were counting on the most.

A “Ziklag” is any life event that leaves you feeling abandoned, at the end of your rope, and possibly a little hopeless — as though your world is crumbling, and the bottom has suddenly dropped out beneath you. You can encounter a “Ziklag” event just around the corner and without any warning. But some “Ziklag” events are slow-burn situations that have been building for months or years — like the proverbial “last straw that breaks the camel’s back” (a dream that’s taking far too long to fulfill, a creative pursuit with far too many rejections, or a relationship or venture with one too many difficulties).

As discussed in our last session, we can respond to these events the way David did, who “encouraged himself in the Lord” and came through his “Ziklag” victorious (1 Samuel 30:6) Or we can accept defeat — and watch our dreams go up in smoke. “Ziklag” events are inevitable, but the outcomes are up to us.

Each of us essentially has only two responses to a “Ziklag” event:

Disconnect: Run away from God; get angry at Him (and those closest to us); and perhaps even blame God for our misfortunes. The end result is bitterness, emotional turmoil, and a total disconnect from the divine source of our strength and creativity. This defeatist attitude (and resultant disconnection with God) is the natural (unspiritual and unbiblical) response to adversity. This is how David’s warriors responded when their world had seemingly collapsed. Admitting defeat and abandoning all hope and reason, out of ideas and looking for a convenient target (someone at whom they could vent their anger and frustration), they wanted to stone to death their leader, David.

Quick Connect: David was just as distraught as his men. He, too, had suffered a devastating blow. But he chose the supernatural, biblical response to the events at Ziklag — and he wasted no time doing so. He immediately ran to God. And he immediately prayed. In other words, David talked to God, shared his frustrations with his Creator, and got instructions on how to handle the situation, and what to do next.

David didn’t disconnect from God the problem-solver, the storm-stopper, the miracle worker, the God of the impossible, “who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20 NLT) As a result, God was able to give His servant a plan of action, a strategy that enabled David and his men to rescue their families and recover all they had lost — and then some! (1 Samuel 30:18-20)

Like the Psalmist, David, we too must be spiritual “first responders”: people whose first (and rapid) response to a “Ziklag” event is to run to the loving, strong and capable arms of our Heavenly Father; who automatically talk to God and utter a quick and simple prayer — Help me, Lord!; who seek His guidance and direction before doing or saying anything else — not just in times of crisis, but each and every day.

King David wrote, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee….” (Psalm 63:1 KJB) God wants us to seek His help in every matter, not just the “big stuff.” And He wants this action to be our first response to every situation: “Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not.” (Jeremiah 33:3 AKJV)

We can overcome any “Ziklag” event — and realize our dreams — as long as we stick to this course of action, being first responders to the Lord, because “God … always causes us to triumph in Christ….” (2 Corinthians 2:14 AKJV)

Respond to God as David did, and He will respond to you. Here’s what He’ll tell you: “I am the LORD, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27 NLT) Of course not! “Nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37 NLT) “For no word from God will ever fail.” (Luke 1:37 NIV)

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Returning from battle to their home in Ziklag, David, and his men found the city deserted and in ruins. Their enemy the Amalekites had taken captive all the women and children before burning Ziklag to the ground. “David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.” (1 Samuel 30:4 ESV) They had lost their wives, and their sons and daughters. Their future seemed dim, their great dream lost in the ashes.

Israel’s future king realized he’d failed the men who had trusted and followed him across the desert into the land of their enemies. David’s men were disillusioned and in deep despair. Suffering an emotional meltdown, even David’s closest friends were “thinking of stoning him; each man grieved bitterly over his sons and daughters.” (1 Samuel 30:6 NET)

How many of us creators and dreamers can remember having a “Ziklag” moment, when it seems like all of one’s hopes and dreams have gone up in smoke — and that everything is lost? What does one do? The Bible states that, “David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” (1 Samuel 30:6 AKJV)

Sounds good. But what exactly does this mean?

• Simply that David ran into the loving arms of the merciful God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel — with whom the poet-warrior had developed a deep, personal relationship during the lonely days he’d spent in the fields tending his sheep. David did NOT flee from God in bitterness or blind hysterics, the way some people do when things go wrong. That’s what David was trying to explain, when he composed Psalm 23; the most beloved and well-known poem ever written; the Shepherd’s Psalm which continues to bring solace to new generations; a genuine source of encouragement for all creators and dreamers.

• David also trusted God. He knew that Jehovah is faithful. Indeed, God had enabled David to slay the giant Goliath, to escape the murderous clutches of King Saul, and to survive — and even thrive — in the territory of his enemies, the Philistines.

So, when David faced his greatest challenge of all — his “Ziklag” — he reviewed his history with God, and knew his Lord would see him through. God would not abandon him nor forsake him. And David’s history lesson is one we need to learn: God is willing and able to see each of us through our own personal “Ziklag”s; He will not abandon us in our time of need. (Psalm 94:14)

To the contrary, God is always at the front line in every battle we face. And He’s already planning our victory celebration, which is why we can proclaim with David, “You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. …Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:5-6 NLT)

God called David “a man after My own heart.” Not because David was “perfect” or super-spiritual, and certainly not because he never made mistakes. No, David made plenty of mistakes, but according to God, “he will do everything I want him to do.” (Acts 13:22 NLT) And one of the main things God wants us to do, is to rely totally on Him.

That’s what faith is all about, “and without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV) David had unwavering faith in the face of overwhelming odds — which made him a “man after God’s own heart.” David’s faith also took him from the lowly position of shepherd to the highest office in the land.

David had discovered the keys to victory and success in this life and the life to come: whenever he “messed up,” whenever he was facing fearful obstacles and challenges, or suffered a crushing defeat — the “Ziklag”s of life — David immediately (1) consulted his Lord, by praying (talking) to God. And then? David simply (2) trusted his Lord to see him through.

Fellow dreamers and creators, when facing a “Ziklag” — a difficulty, a betrayal, a setback, a closed door, yet another rejection, or any major disappointment that leaves you feeling as though the bottom has dropped out beneath your world — cry out for help to your Heavenly Father. Do it immediately. Do it before you say or do anything else.

• Get God’s perspective on the situation.
• Seek God’s instruction on how to handle it.
• Then have faith that He will see you through.

Actually, learn to do these things daily, as a matter of routine practice, no matter how great or small your problems seem. God cares about it all. Remember, relying on Him makes our Lord happy. (Refer back to Boot Camp sessions 5 through 7 — because these truths are vital to success in life and the pursuit of dreams.)

To “encourage oneself in the Lord” also means: Being willing to stand alone, without human help or encouragement. (Discussed in Boot Camp 14.5) Face it, sometimes the people closest to us, our immediate family, our best friends, even those who previously stuck by us through thick and thin (the way David’s “Mighty Men of Valor” had previously stuck by him) may abandon you when you encounter your “Ziklag”!

There’s truth to the old saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” — often leaving us alone on life’s battlefields. In regards to our goals and dreams, disappointments, betrayals, and a general lack of support are all part of the territory. Sometimes, for a variety of reasons, people will refuse to help you. Sometimes they’re just too busy. Sometimes they get caught up in their own world. And sometimes, they actually want to be there for you, but they can’t, due to circumstances beyond their control (such as illness or a family obligation).

Still, whatever the reasons, there will be times when the people you were counting on the most, aren’t there for you; when you must face your problems alone; when there’s absolutely no one to support you except your Lord. You may cry out for help, but even your loved ones may fail to hear your cries, because they’re preoccupied; or, then again, they may simply turn a deaf ear to your needs.

It’s possible that these “silent” people won’t even have an encouraging word for you. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Too bad.

Depressing? Yes, and that’s what can make a “Ziklag” so devastating. The good news is, our Heavenly Father always hears our cries. He’s never too busy for us, and He promises, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5 NLT)

Facing a tough situation? Follow David’s example: Ask God for help, and make the same positive confession he made: “I _________ (insert your name) encourage myself in You, Lord; I find my strength in You, my God.” (1 Samuel 30:6) You’ll soon learn — for those times when your circumstances appear bleak, or when people let you down — that you can stand alone when you must (but always WITH God by your side). You’ll have victory over every “Ziklag” you encounter in life, along the road to fulfilling your dreams!

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