When Everything Burns Down: Encouraging Yourself in the Lord

In life, loss may not come one piece at a time. Sometimes, it comes all at once.

We witness that moment in 1 Samuel 30.

David and his Mighty Men spent months fighting battles and winning victories. Territory after territory fell into their hands. Success followed them. Momentum carried them. They were warriors on a winning streak.

They returned home looking forward to seeing their wives and families, having a soft bed to sleep on, receiving revelries of celebration, and hearing the laughter of children after the screams of the dying. Instead of rest, they saw smoke.

The Amalekites burned their city to the ground while they were away. Their homes devastated. Their wives and children stollen. Everything they loved completely gone.

Scripture hides nothing, including the vulnerability of mighty warriors. Warriors like you and I.

“Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.”  (1 Samuel 30:4, NKJV)

These were not weak men. These were the Mighty Men of David, battle-tested soldiers. Yet this loss broke them. They cried until they physically could not cry one more tear. Sometimes, trauma reaches that level. It overwhelms the emotional system. Strength alone cannot carry it.

Just when David felt like he had nothing left to lose, his own men threatened to stone him. The same men who faithfully fought beside him now blamed him. Grief turned into bitterness. Pain looked for someone to punish. David found himself alone in the middle of devastation.

The Scripture describes his condition in a single phrase:

“David was greatly distressed...” (1 Samuel 30:6a, NKJV)

Everything around him collapsed, and the men he called friends and brothers threatened to kill him! Instead of running or panicking, David did something inspirational.

“...But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” (1 Samuel 30:6b, NKJV)

David needed to strengthen his own soul. We cannot escape these moments either. When we can take no more and feel there is nothing left to be taken, our options appear very bleak. To survive, we need to follow David’s example.

Not because community is not important, but because sometimes the crisis comes when no one else is strong enough to carry us. At some point, we must learn how to encourage ourselves in the Lord.

First, Remember What God Has Already Done

Rehearsing your history with God is one of the most powerful ways to strengthen your spirit. Rehearsing the grief only leads to further emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual destruction. Remember all the, “but God” moments.

David had a history. He faced a lion, a bear, and Goliath yet he survived. Every one of those moments proved something about the character of God. When David encouraged himself in the Lord, he likely remembered those moments. He reminded his own soul that God never failed him before.

Trauma narrows our vision until we see only the present loss. Encouragement widens our memory until we remember God’s faithfulness. Sometimes the most powerful spiritual discipline is simply remembering victories not failures, unexpected blessings not years of struggle, and those moments when death was a distinct possibility, BUT GOD intervened. Those memories rebuild courage.

Second, Remember You Are Not Alone

Encouraging yourself in the Lord also means remembering that God’s protection carried you farther than you realize. Scripture repeatedly describes God’s unseen mercy and grace: angels standing guard, His Holy Spirit’s guidance, and Jesus’ ransom for our lives. As we look back, we remember the accident that nearly happened, the unexpected opportunities, and the provisions either at the 11^th hour or without us even asking.

God’s protection rarely announces itself loudly, but it surrounds us more often than we notice. Remembering that truth steadies the soul. It reminds us even when circumstances collapse, God remains steady and accessible.

Third, Remind Yourself Who God Is

David’s strength did not come from his circumstances. His strength came from the character of God. Scripture describes God with names that anchor the heart during crisis:

He is Jehovah Jireh, the One who provides.

He is Jehovah Shalom, the One who brings peace.

He is Jehovah Rapha, the One who heals.

He is Jehovah Nissi, the banner of victory.

Reclaiming our lives often begins by concentrating on Jehovah and His many unfailing characteristics. All of which reside within us when we abide in Christ and He in us.  

David models an inspirational ability: the ability to remain grounded in the moment yet anchored by faith. He did not deny the devastation around him or the men threatening him. Instead, he found strength to move not only himself but his men forward. Because, he knew God was and always will be God.

The Turning Point

Many of us imagine some climatic moment when everything shifts. Angels singing, doorbells ringing after years of silent loneliness, or winning the lottery without buying a ticket. However, usually God operates more on the quieter side.

Like David, we ask God for direction.

“Shall I pursue this enemy? Shall I overtake them?” (1 Samuel 30:8a, NKJV)

God’s answer was immediate and decisive:

“...Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” (1 Samuel 30:8b, NKJV)

We take a deep breath when we think of God restoring ALL we lost. What a monumental moment that will be. But what if… what if we are limiting Him to 100% when He wants to give 200%?

David’s Spoils

David knew God would restore his family members, possessions and resources. He simply had to obey God… even with the dread of returning to war with a nation known for brutality. And, as Jehovah said, David and his men received everything back.

But something else happened. As David defeated the enemy, he discovered that the Amalekites possessed wealth beyond their expectation. The Amalekites accumulated livestock, goods, and treasures from all around them in their camp.

David returned not only with what he had lost. He returned with more. Scripture calls it “David’s spoil.” In other words, the crisis did not end in mere survival. It ended in increase. God did not allow the story to finish with loss. He redeemed the devastation and produced extravagant abundance.

This pattern appears repeatedly throughout Scripture. Joseph lost years of his life yet rose to leadership over nations. Job lost everything, yet God restored double. Israel left Egypt not empty-handed, but carrying the wealth of their oppressors.

God has a way of turning valleys into places of unexpected provision. Not every hardship resolves quickly. Scripture never promises that. Rather it shows us God’s redemptive power. Loss does not always get the final word.

Your “Until” Moment

Before David encouraged himself in the Lord, the men wept until they had no more power to weep.

That word “until” matters.

We experience the grief process. We shed the pent-up tears. We recognize our faith holds us steady. The Bible never shames those moments of sorrow. Therefore, grief and despair never end our testimony.

At some point, every soul reaches an “until” moment. Until the tears stop. Until the mind grows quiet. Until the heart lifts its head again.

After the desperate "until" moment, we strengthen ourselves in the Lord, remember His faithfulness, and ask Him for our next move. Because the story that began with ashes rarely ends there. Sometimes God writes a final chapter that looks like recovery… and spoils besides. Spoils that come in many forms.

*This post was inspired in great part by Jensen Franklin’s sermon: How To Encourage Yourself | Pastor Jentezen Franklin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9fz802lmK8&t=2950s