“Encourage Yourself”
By Rev. Everett R. Kimble, Sr.
“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: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6).
Before the pandemic my work would require me to travel to many of the larger cities in Central and South Florida a few times a month. When I have a project in one of those places, it would not be unusual for me to spend six hours driving there and back. I don’t like to sleep away from home, so most often I would try and cram everything into one day. The first few times I had to make one of these drives I hated every boring mile, but on one occasion, it all changed.
My mother took ill, and I was struggling with trying to figure out how to go about doing what was right for her without making her feel as if she was losing control of her life. My siblings and I were going at it pretty hard, and I could not get a grip on any of it. I had a project that was about two hours away, and I really didn’t want to take that trip, but I had too. I backed out of the driveway wound up as tight as a drum with no idea how I was going to make it through the next few hours. As I pulled onto the main highway,I began to pray. For two hours, I prayed and talked to God with the help of some gospel music playing in the background. When I got to where I was going it seemed the pressures of what was going on at home had been lifted. I completed my project and by the time I got home that evening God had given me some answers and had worked on the hearts of those I would need to help me accomplish the things He had told me to do. In some instances, I didn’t even have to ask; people just came to me ready to work. God worked it out. From that trip on, whenever I was struggling with something and needing to talk to God, I looked forward to those long drives of seclusion and isolation.
Those drives are few and far between now, but I still make time to have those long talks with God. And here is my encouragement for someone today. Sometimes the only place you can find the solution is in seclusion. When it seems as if the world is against you and you don’t know where to go or what to do, separate yourself from the noise and have a little talk with Jesus. What you will find is that you had the answer and the power all along. The solution was never in the people and the things around you; it was always in the one that lives in you. Take a moment today to remember the times God blessed and delivered you and encourage yourself in the Lord.
1 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: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God”.
Have a blessed and encouraging Friday!
