Today is August 11.

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 30.

3 When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

There is a lot in this ancient text that we find hard to understand. But there is one thing that makes perfect sense to us, even in our modern world: we know what it feels like to feel grief.

David and his men were grieved by profound and traumatic loss. They were greatly distressed. They wept until they had not more strength. As you come to prayer today... what emotions are you carrying? Can you speak them out to the Lord?

David cries until he has no more strength, the scripture tells us. And then: he found strength in the Lord. This scripture doesn’t tell us that David felt strong the whole way through. Quite the opposite: he felt totally empty. Totally weak. Totally bankrupt. And then, in that state, he turned to the Lord. Listen again. If you are in a season of grief, or weakness, or emptiness right now... can you turn to the Lord like David did? Can you ask Him to renew your strength?

Where is it that you feel emptied today? What is it that you need? What feels impossible, but by the grace of God? Sometimes we hold those things as worries, as anxieties. We ruminate on them instead of praying. As we end, take a moment and talk to God – out loud even – about where it is you feel grieved, or emptied, or weak. And invite Him, by the power of the Spirit, to fill you up. Again, sometimes giving voice to our prayers – even in a whisper – helps us to move from anxiously ruminating or worrying... to actually abiding with our Father in heaven.

Music Credit:
Invitacion Fountain - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)