When Everything Falls Apart - 1 Samuel 30

A number of years ago, I was with some friends and I’ve forgotten the exact circumstances, but I happened to make an off-handed comment about the situation and said, “well, it can’t possibly get any worse.”

And in that friend group, was an ER doctor, and he looked at me and said, “trust me, it can always get worse.” That comment has been forever seared into my brain, because as I’m sure he could attest to, things can always get worse. Since then, I’ve tried to stop using that phrase.

The reality is, to varying degrees, we’ve all seen and experienced bad situations only to get worse.

Which is exactly what happened to David! Since learning about Saul’s jealousy of David in 1 Samuel 18, David has had a streak of tough situations, and here, we read of a situation that has gone from bad to worse.

If you were here last week, you probably remember how David was sent off the battlefield by the Philistines. 1 Samuel 29 is such an unusual passage, because the greatest king in the history of Israel nearly went to war against Israel with the Philistines. But of course, he and his men were providentially sent off the battlefield by the Philistine lords.

Which of course, was a God’s providential hand upon David, because it would have been a terrible thing for him to go to war against Israel. It would have been the sort of thing he could have never recovered from. He would have been persona non grata in Israel! And so, by God’s grace he dodged the bullet and avoided fighting with the Philistines against Israel, but nevertheless, the whole experience was somewhat humiliating.

He and his men were rejected from the battlefield and had to return to Ziklag with their tails tucked between their legs, only to discover that Ziklag had been destroyed by the Amalekites.

Ziklag was burned and empty because the Amalekites had taken everyone captive. Their wives and children were going to be sold off into slavery where they would undoubtedly have been abused and mistreated.

Which is of course why we’re told in verse 4 that, “David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.”

We’ve all found ourselves, hopefully not in a situation where your family was taken captive, but in situations where things have gone from bad to worse. We’ve all experienced the pain of sudden tragedy, where pain runs deeper than words can express, and you feel as if you’re all alone.

I think all of us can relate to that in some way, shape or form. But it raises a critical question: in those moments when life brings you to the point of breaking, where do you turn for strength? It’s in the face of hardship, grief, and disappointment that the true foundation of your strength is revealed.

If you’re taking notes this morning our passage breaks down into three parts: first, tragedy reveals the source of your strength (vv. 1-5), second, we’re reminded that our strength rises when we fall before the Lord (vv. 6-10), and lastly, we see that grace restores what was broken (vv. 11-30).

Tragedy reveals our source of strength (vv. 1-5)

Crises are part of the human experience and you have no idea when it’s going to strike, which is exactly what happened to David. He was on the battlefield preparing to go to war with the Philistines against Israel one minute, only to be sent off the battlefield by the Philistine lords. He and his men had successfully dodged a bullet by the grace of God.

Things were really looking positive for David. They were going to go back to Ziklag for a little rest and relaxation while Israel and the Philistines duked it out, but when they arrived in Ziklag tragedy had struck.

We learn in verse 1 that, “the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire 2 and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way.”

What a shock! They return to Ziklag after being sent away from the battlefield only to discover that the Amalekites, who were a maraudering, nomadic people, had attacked Ziklag, burned it with fire, and taken their wives and children as captives. Obviously, David and his men had no idea when they arrived in Ziklag that their wives and children had been taken captive and not killed.

Which is why we learn in verse 4 that everyone raised their voices and wept. For all they knew, their families had been killed. And it was at that point, everyone in their sadness and frustration, turned on David.

Verse 6 tells us that, “...David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters.”

Needless to say, things have gone from bad to worse for David, and it raises a very important question: what was he going to do? Where was he going to turn?

His wives along with the wives and children of the men who were with him had been taken captive, they were upset and turned their frustrations on David and even spoke of possibly stoning him to death!

It’s no wonder we’re told at the beginning of verse 6 that David was “greatly distressed.”

I’ve heard it said that crises don’t produce character, they simply reveal it. There seems to be a lot of truth to that particular statement. Disaster is an unavoidable reality. After all, sin is a part of the world that we live in. And sin creates chaos in our world. Sometimes it’s our sin, sometimes it’s someone else’s sin, and sometimes it’s simply the result of the fallen world that we live in. But nevertheless, emergencies, setbacks, and catastrophes, are all things that we’re all acquainted with to varying degrees.

And in those moments, when your back is pressed against the wall, when the people who you thought were your friends suddenly turn on you – it’s in those moments, what you rely on for strength, comfort, and hope become increasingly apparent.

Those desperate moments don’t give you time to craft a response, more often than not, they force a response. And in doing so, they shine a light on what has been forming in the quiet spaces of our lives: in our thoughts, our habits, our prayers (or lack thereof), and the things we’ve loved. In a crisis, we reveal who we really are.

God often allows crises to refine His people, not just for the sake of showing us our weakness, but so we’ll go to Him for strength. He doesn't waste suffering. And while trials may not form our character overnight, they most certainly expose the foundation we’ve built on.

Where do you turn in the midst of pain, grief, and suffering? Do you turn to distractions; mindless scrolling, binge-watching, or busyness to numb the ache? Do you turn inward with self-reliance, trying to fix everything yourself without ever seeking God? Or does your pain boil over into anger where you lash out at everyone around you or even to God?

All of those responses might be instinctive, but none of them bring healing, they will ultimately leave you empty. The only place we find real lasting strength and restoration is in the presence of the Lord. Trials are not an invitation to numb yourself, run away, or explode rather they are an opportunity to fall on our knees before the God who sustains, restores, and strengthens His people.

Our strength rises when we fall before the Lord (v. 6-10)

That’s exactly what happens in our passage. In the midst of intense personal sorrow, David didn’t numb himself, give in to despair, or lash out at those around him, he turned to the Lord his God. And that simple act reveals so much about the kind of man David was. In fact, the final words of verse 6 may be the most important statement in the entire narrative: “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”

But when you really reflect upon what’s going on – David had nowhere else to turn. Ziklag was in ruins. His family was gone. His men were ready to stone him. And yet, it’s here, in the ashes of Ziklag, that David finds the strength to carry on. He didn’t find the strength to carry on in himself, no, he strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

But it’s important to stop right here and ask ourselves, what exactly does it mean to “strengthen yourself in the Lord?” It’s something of an odd, rather vague statement. It sounds like something someone would say if they were trying to sound spiritual. I was getting discouraged, but then I strengthened myself in the Lord.

What does that even mean?

Maybe it’s best to start with what it doesn’t mean.

Being strengthened in the Lord doesn’t mean David suddenly changed his outlook or reinterpreted his circumstances in a more positive light. That’s a common temptation in modern Christianity—when life is hard, we think the “spiritual” response is to downplay the hardship and convince ourselves, “It’s not really that bad.” But as a friend once reminded me: things can always get worse! The truth is, it’s perfectly okay to say out loud, “This is bad.” Things don’t have to be as bad as they could be for us to acknowledge that they’re still painful or tragic. Someone who buys into the “just be positive” mindset might have chastised David and his men for weeping—“At least you’re not dead; be grateful!”—but that would completely miss the point. Biblical strength doesn't ignore pain; it brings pain honestly before the Lord.

No, things in Ziklag were undeniably bad. And it was okay for David and his men to acknowledge the reality of the situation.

Additionally, being “strengthened in the Lord” doesn’t mean that David just turned himself loose emotionally. This is a point that the commentator Dale Ralph Davis makes. He said,

“There is a difference between pouring out sorrow and strengthening yourself in God… Some make much of the need for believers to be open, to talk about their distress, to get it all out and not hold it in. And normally there is nothing wrong with that. Some of us pastors keep urging God’s people to do that, not to be afraid to pray like the psalmists. But one can cry tears and vent emotions and yet not be strengthening oneself in God.”

Being “strengthened in the Lord” doesn’t mean that you feel comfortable speaking honestly about the sorrow and pain you feel in your heart. You can speak of those things before God without ever being truly “strengthened by the Lord.”

So how are we to understand what it means to be strengthened in the Lord? Look again at what was said at the end of verse 6: “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”

There’s a massive difference between identifying with the Christian religion, and perhaps even saying that it’s good for society—things I would agree with, by the way—and echoing the words of doubting Thomas when he saw the pierced hands of Jesus Christ and said, “My Lord and my God.”

There’s something deeply profound about David arriving in Ziklag to discover that his house had been burned down, his family had been taken captive, but no matter the losses he still had the Lord his God.

There is strength in knowing that the Lord is your God. That no matter what’s going on in your life, He’s still with you.

When your world falls apart, and you lose your job, or your health, or even your closest relationships—but if you have Christ, you have everything. That’s empowering, that’s strengthening, that’s where you find the ability to continue to put one foot in front of the other.

This is exactly what Jesus talked about in John 15 when he said, “I am the vine and you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

But when the bottom drops out of your life, only a living and active relationship with the Lord is what will sustain you. That’s why David didn’t collapse in on himself—he turned to the Lord his God. Not just the Lord. Not a distant deity. But a personal refuge.

You also can’t really read verse 6 without recalling what happened in 1 Samuel 23:16, because that’s the verse where David’s good friend Jonathan “strengthened his hand in the Lord.” Obviously, that meant that Jonathan encouraged David in his walk with the Lord, but we’re actually told how Jonathan “strengthened David’s hand in the Lord.”

If you remember, one of the key pieces of Jonathan strengthening David’s hand in the Lord was that he reminded him that he would one day be king in Israel. In essence, Jonathan reminded David of God’s promises.

So being strengthened in the Lord your God not only means that you draw strength from your personal relationship with the Lord, but it also means that you draw strength from the promises that He’s made to you.

Promises that He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).

Promises that He is working all things—even the hard, painful, and confusing things—together for your good (Romans 8:28).

Promises that nothing can separate you from His love (Romans 8:38–39).

Promises that He will finish the good work He began in you (Philippians 1:6).

And promises that, one day, He will wipe away every tear from your eyes, and there will be no more death, sorrow, or pain (Revelation 21:4).

These are not vague sentiments—they are blood-bought guarantees secured by Christ Himself. So when your world caves in, and everything feels like it's slipping through your fingers, being strengthened in the Lord means anchoring yourself not in what you can see, but in the God who has spoken and will never lie. His promises are stronger than your pain, and His faithfulness endures to the end.

And so, this David – the David who was strengthened by the Lord his God made use of the Old Testament means of inquiring of the Lord by taking the ephod in order to see what he was supposed to do! He had what Saul lacked – he was united to the Lord by faith. The Lord was his God. It shouldn’t be of any surprise that the Lord answered him and told him exactly what he was supposed to do: “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.”

God’s grace restores what was broken (vv. 11-30)

This passage makes it abundantly obvious that the Lord was with David. Obviously the Lord told David that he would pursue, overtake, and rescue everyone from the Amalekites, but there’s only one major problem with all of that, and it involves something that I referred to earlier.

The Amalekites were a nomadic people! They didn’t live in one place. They were nomadic, marauding people who survived by conducting raids on those around them.

So put yourself in David’s shoes for just one moment: God tells you to pursue the Amalekites for you’re going to rescue everyone from their hands! Great news! Now, where do you start your search? Sure, David may have tapped into his military instincts or saw a fresh trail, but those techniques aren’t always reliable! At the end of the day you’re just hoping you're heading in the right direction. And so for whatever reason, David took off towards the Brook of Besor at such a pace that men were falling out.

In fact, two hundred men fell out. But along the way, they found an Egyptian who was near death and nursed him back to health. And at first glance you may think that it’s a small detail… They found an Egyptian, but it’s this Egyptian that they nurse back to health that tells them exactly where they need to go to find the Amalekites!

This Egyptian represented God’s hand of providence guiding David exactly where he needed to go! Had David not stumbled into the Egyptian slave and nursed him back to health they would have never found the Amalekties and never rescued their wives and families!

And of course we know what happens next. They find the Amalekites celebrating all their ill-gotten gains – and David and his men struck them down. We’re told there in verse 19, “Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all.”

That’s the definition of restoration isn’t it? Everything that had been stolen from them by the Amalekites was recovered and restored.

And it’s through this whole episode that David had begun to see things rightly again? Did you notice how he treated the men who were too exhausted to continue the pursuit of the Amalekites?

Worthless fellows didn’t want to give those who had fallen behind their recovered spoils. They just wanted to give them their families back and nothing more.

In verse 23 David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. 24 Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.”

We even learn that David even sends some of the spoil back to the people of Israel in Judah.

But perhaps the most significant thing that was restored through this terrible experience was David’s reliance and dependence upon the Lord. We really see it most clearly in David’s treatment of the 200 that had fallen behind. In a small way, David was extending grace to those men that the Lord had so richly poured out on him.

Rarely does clarity on what’s truly important in life come through ease and comfort. More often than not, it’s through hardship that God brings clarity. The chaos at Ziklag wasn’t just a random crisis—it was a turning point. David had spent the last season depending on his own plans, trusting in Philistine protection, and drifting from the calling God had placed on his life. He wasn’t seeking the Lord’s direction; he was chasing comfort and survival.

Which is entirely relatable! Who hasn’t felt the cares of this world cast a dark shadow over their walk with God? Whether it's the anxiety of financial strain, the relentless busyness that crowds out time with the Lord, the constant worry about the future, the consuming desire for approval, or even the pressures of family expectations. Each one of these cares, while not evil in themselves, can slowly and silently pull the heart away from wholehearted trust in Christ, leaving the believer spiritually weary, distracted, and fruitless.

We’ve all heard the famous political mantra, “don’t let a good crisis go to waste.” Because when a crisis hits, that’s when everyone rushes to push their particular political solution. Here’s a spiritual twist to that common statement: “don’t wait for a crisis to start prioritizing the Lord.” Begin to prioritize him now.

So let me ask you again: when everything falls apart, where do you turn for strength? When your plans unravel, when your heart is heavy with grief, when others fail you, and when you’re not sure how to take the next step—what do you instinctively rely on?

For David, the tragedy at Ziklag was a turning point. The burning city, the weeping warriors, the talk of stoning—it all revealed the fragility of misplaced trust. But it also became the moment where something deeper emerged. In his distress, David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. And from that moment forward, we see the fruit of a man whose hope had been refocused on the Lord.

Maybe your “Ziklag” looks different. Maybe it’s not a city in flames, but a home that feels fractured, a body broken by illness, or a heart weighed down by sin or sorrow. Wherever you find yourself this morning, know this: Christ is enough. He is your strength when you have none left. He is your restorer when all seems lost. And He is full of grace for those who fall before Him.

So don’t run from the Lord in times of trouble. Run to Him—and be strengthened.