Finding Strength in God when Everything seems Lost

Loss is a tough one to deal with. Loss is painful and can make us despair and lose hope. In such situations, we often don’t see a solution or a way forward, and the future seems lost, too. Resentment can blur our vision and bitterness can hinder a proper focus. Some people make bad decisions in times of loss and its pain and hopelessness. How do you deal with loss?

There’s an inspiring story in the Bible that helps us deal with loss properly and encourages us to find strength in God when everything seems lost. The strength God provides gives us peace and clarity and can give us a strategy to solve the problems we find ourselves in and pave a way for a better future. Such real-life stories in Scripture give us hope in the midst of loss and pain by the instructions we can learn from, the perseverance we can draw on and the comfort and encouragement the Scriptures offer us (Romans 15:4). People in times past went through similar situations to ours and God proved faithful to those who trusted Him and did the right thing despite the struggles they had to endure. Strength and strategy are desperately needed in times of hardship and pain. Whatever difficult situation or tough temptation you might find yourself in, there is a faithful God who provides a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Finding ourselves in difficult situations is tough, but the question is, How much strength do you have to deal with it? The wise proverb observed that having a lack of strength in hard times, is tough indeed. If we faint during hardship, it shows that our strength is insufficient (Proverbs 24:10). The illustration of Jeremiah the prophet further makes this point:

‘If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the floodplains of the Jordan?’ (Jeremiah 12:5)

In other words, if you got tired competing with the weaker competitor, how will you compete against the stronger ones? If you didn’t make it when it was easy, how will you manage when things are difficult? Hardship do indeed prepare ordinary people for extraordinary destinies, as C.S. Lewis said it. Martin Luther King rightly observed that the true measure of a man is not where is stands in times of comfort and convenience, but in times of hardship and controversies! Or, as the song goes, ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going.’ Are you strong enough for difficult periods in life?

Here’s the good news: God strengthens those who wait on Him and trust in Him—He renews our strength (Isaiah 40:28–31). Strength is not a matter of age, but a matter of trust in God. He has compassion with our weaknesses and comes to our rescue (Hebrews 4:14–16). The following story illustrates how this works in real life. The person who found God’s strength in an extremely difficult situation and saw God’s faithfulness in restoring what was lost, was the one who proclaimed that ‘God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever’ (Psalm 73:26).

David: Strength and Strategy

The story is one of David’s many difficult situations he had to deal with (see 1 Samuel 30). It is encouraging precisely because it took place under extreme circumstances. It literally was a life and death situation. Here’s what happened.

The enemy had raided their city when they were on military duty. They had stolen their women, children and possessions (vv 1–2). The shock at this evil when David and his men returned was enormous and their reaction showed it: they cried until there was no strength left (vv 3–4). It’s perfectly fine for men to cry together in mutual support. David, too, had suffered the same fate (v 5), yet the difference between him and his men was a remarkable one: the very men he had sought to comfort, now conspired to kill him!  They must have blamed David for failing in leadership and sought some aggressive outlet for their strong emotions of grief and anger, presumably in emotional revenge because of their own suffering. When people suffer loss and become bitter, they tend to become irrationally emotional and make great mistakes that can cost them their future. As is well known, don’t make important decisions with big emotions.

Understandably, David was ‘greatly distressed’ (v 6). Not just had he lost his own wives and possessions, his own people added insult to injury by taking his life. It all looked hopeless, everything seemed lost. What the revengeful men failed to see is that the very person they sought to kill was the key person was God’s instrument for restoration. David dead would’ve meant the end of any hope for restoration. Don’t make irrational bad decisions when you are hurt or angry. It’s true: how we respond to suffering and pain will define who we are (identity) and determine our future (destiny). Do we become bitter or better? That is the key question!

Let’s look at how David responded in this extremely challenging situation. He’s our example here. The story is remarkable in many ways. ‘But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God’ (v 6) and ‘David inquired of the Lord…’ (v 8). That’s how you respond to loss, pain and injustice! You find strength in God; you pour out your heart before God; you seek comfort and guidance from the Almighty. As their leader, David simply had to set aside his own grief and pain and do what is right for the common good—that’s what leaders do. The same applies to a parent who is seeking to restore the family after things have gone wrong, or a CEO rebuilding the business after a crisis. It’s tough, but necessary. A leader must lead the way and set the example.

David sought strength from God and also His guidance (vv 7–8). It’s very important that we have strength and strategy from God. We need an action plan and do it. God gave David strength and strategy to restore what was lost. Thanks to David’s powerful ability to seek God in the most painful and stressful experiences of life, he found strength and strategy for restoration. We, too, need that. Be confident in God to provide strength in your weakness and guidance in your struggle. He is faithful! It was a temptation in which God proved faithful and provided strength and strategy as a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:30) and a path to restoration (James 1:2–12). Don’t despair in your loss or pain. Seek God for strength, comfort and guidance and strategy. There must be a way forward. There is a good future to bless and prosper you no matter what went wrong.

Note also another important detail in this story about David. God had given David the ‘green light,’ the ‘go-ahead’ to ‘pursue’ and ‘overtake’ the enemy in order to ‘recover all’ (1 Samuel 30:8). God gave a promise and David went for it. He trusted that God would provide all means necessary to fulfil His promise—and God did. On the way towards the enemy, they found a servant of the raiders (v 11). Instead of killing him in a fit of rage, they gave him food and water and revived. He was left to die, being sickly (vv 12–13). He admitted that he was part of the raid (v 14). He’s own master had abandoned him, yet David was good to him. David then made him an offer: take me to the enemy and we’ll protect you (v 15). The most unlikely of persons became the key to show David where the enemy was. This way, David could recover everything that was taken, including his own wives (vv 16–18). ‘David recovered all’ (v 19), just as God had promised!

Never underestimate the unlikely person or situation that can be the key to your restoration and recovery of what was lost. God has a way to recover what was lost and restore what was stolen. We must find a way to gain strength from God and a strategy to act in order to recover what was taken from us. Things may look hopeless, but you must be moved by what you believe—based on what God said. He is faithful to His word—so follow it.

God is Refuge and Strength

But sometimes, the pain is too great and we struggle to pray and seek God. However, we must find a way to seek God and pray to the One who can help us and empower us in our difficulties. As one psalmist stated, ‘In the day of trouble I sought the Lord’ (Psalm 77:2). God promised that as we call on Him in the day of trouble, He will rescue us (Psalm 50:15). God will answer us as we call on Him in the day of our trouble (Psalm 86:7). He is ‘our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble’ (Psalm 46:1). We don’t just pray when we’re in trouble, but we know that He won’t fail us when we need Him.

David encouraged God’s people to both trust God at all times and to pour out their hearts before Him, for He is a refuge (Psalm 62:8). We can come to God and share our hearts in plain honesty. He knows us and hears us. Our heavenly Father knows what we need before we even ask (Matthew 6:8). It’s important that we pray and seek God with faith. We must trust Him. And sometimes, even if we can’t formulate ourselves properly, we just wait patiently on Him (Psalm 62:1), knowing that He will come through for us. He is our rock, salvation and defence (v 2). Although evil people fight us (vv 3–4), we expect our help from God (v 5), the ‘rock of my strength’ and ‘my refuge’ (v 7). God as our refuge is the source of our strength. As we make Him our refuge, He becomes our strength. He is both our refuge and our strength (Psalm 46:1).

As we humble ourselves before God, He will exalt us (1 Peter 5:6). We can cast our worries and cares on Him, because He knows and He cares about us (v 7). From this place of humility and finding our refuge in God, we can gain strength to resist the devil and overcome anything he might throw at us (vv 8–11). The submitting to God gives us power to resist evil (James 4:7). We learn to overcome evil by doing good, and not be overcome by evil (Romans 12:21). Despite the loss, David never became resentful or revengeful. He was gracious in victory and before that he was decisive in battle, following God’s instructions. We must always act from a place of clarity and peace, and then act decisively in God’s strength to fulfil His plan. Make right decisions as God guides you, your future depends on it.

Find strength in God and guidance from the Almighty to recover everything that was wrongfully taken from you. God is our refuge and our strength. No matter how hopeless or difficult a situation might look, make Him your refuge, find your strength in God, and let Him guide you out of trouble. No matter how wrong or unfair a situation might be, trust God to set it straight.

God is faithful. He is your refuge and your strength. He gives strength and strategy.