April 17, 2018

The test of character is how we handle a crisis. Consider this crisis and how one man handled it:

"When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep." (1 Samuel 30.3,4)

If there is a 1 to 10 crisis scale, this would be about a 20. The population of an entire city has been captured, and every one of David's fighting men have lost family. Amidst the profound grief, there is talk of slinging some stones in the direction of the man considered responsible: David. Needless to say, "David was greatly distressed" (1 Samuel 30.6). But, how he responds to this monumental crisis shows us something of his character:

"But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God." (1 Samuel 30.6)

The details aren't revealed, but the fact of his response to the crisis speaks volumes. Rather than coming unglued and despondent, he focused on The Source of stability and strength he had always known. He drew near to the One whose reassuring peace, presence, and power washed over and in him.

In the midst of crisis, we either turn away from or lean into the real source of help. The test of character is how we handle the crisis, and to whom we turn in the crisis. 

May David's strength be ours as well.

Steve Taylor, 2018

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