Imagine your spouse, your children, and the spouses of your friends and their children being captured and taken to another country. The enemy had looted your neighborhood and burned down your home and the homes of your friends. Now your friends blame you for their losses! Would you be angry? Frustrated? Would you cry out to God to know what to do?

Something similar happened to David. While he and his men were away, the Amalekites attacked their homes in Ziglag, burned the city, and took everyone captive. According to I Samuel 30:6, “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters.”

What was David’s response? He “encouraged [strengthened] himself in the Lord his God.” David gained strength and courage amidst great stress and difficulties by “encouraging himself in the Lord.” Possibly David wrote Psalm 25 at this time. If so, we see in this passage how David encouraged himself in the Lord—by focusing on God and His goodness, mercy, truth, forgiveness, protection, guidance, and direction.

Are you stressed? Read Psalm 25 and encourage yourself by focusing on God’s attributes as David did. Also, focus on who you are in Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. For example, if you are born of the Holy Spirit by faith in Jesus, then you are:

• A child of God (John 1:11–13)
• A joint heir with Christ (Romans 8:16–17)
• Sanctified (set apart) and justified (declared righteous) (I Corinthians 6:11)
• Created for good works (Ephesians 2:10)
• A representative of Jesus in this world (I John 4:17)
• Created for God’s pleasure (Revelation 4:11)
• Always on God’s mind (Psalm 139:17–18)
• A source of joy to God (Zephaniah 3:17)
• An ambassador for Christ; the righteousness of God in Christ (II Corinthians 5:20–21)

Encourage yourself in the Lord! Your circumstances may not change, but focusing on God will give you the strength, courage, wisdom, and direction to face and overcome them.