Running On Empty

1 Samuel 30:1-19

Running On Empty

God redeems us and our longings when we rely on Him and His strength.

Running On Empty

Trials Make Us Empty

God’s Strength Fills Us Up

God’s Strength Meets Our Need

God’s Strength Redeems Us

Whose Strength Do You Use?

1 Samuel 30:1-6 (NIV)3  When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4  So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep… 6

 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

Trials Make Us Empty

David’s Depression and Distress

Our Depression and Distress

Life’s Trials

God’s Strength

So do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

— Isaiah 41:10

1 Samuel 30:7-8 (NIV)8  and David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" "Pursue them," he answered. "You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue."

God’s Strength Fills Us Up

Our Prayer

David’s Prayer

Our Help

David’s Help

1 Samuel 30:11-15 (NIV)11  They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat–… 15  David asked him, "Can you lead me down to this raiding party?" He answered, "Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to them."

God’s Strength Meets Our Need

God Shows Us the Path

God Meets Our Need

1 Samuel 30:16-19 (NIV)18  David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. 19  Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back.

God’s Strength Redeems Us

God Gives Us Victory

God Restores Us

God Redeems Us

Whose Strength Do You Use?

My Strength

God’s Strength

Does It Matter?

8  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weak-ness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

--2 Corinthians 12:8-10