ZIKLAG: WHERE PAIN NEARLY OBLITERATED WISDOM

ZIKLAG: WHERE PAIN NEARLY OBLITERATED WISDOM
IT IS OFTEN TRUE THAT PAIN CAN OVERRULE WISDOM. WHEN IT DOES, THE PERSON WILL CHOOSE OPTIONS THAT WILL NOT ONLY PERPETUATE HIS PAIN MAY ALSO DESTROY EVERYTHING HE VALUES

1 Samuel 30

ZIKLAG IN DAVID’S TIME
IT WAS THE PLACE ONE COMES HOME TO, A HIDING PLACE SO TO SPEAK, DAVID’S LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD
IT WAS GOD’S TEMPORARY GIFT TO HIM

THE ZIKLAG DISASTER
WHEN THE AMALEKITES RAIDED ZIKLAG, DAVID AND HIS MEN WERE NOT THERE. THE RAIDERS TOOK AWAY EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE OF GREAT VALUE TO DAVID AND HIS MEN.
YOU SEE, FOR A FAMILY MAN, THE VALUE OF ANY PLACE, ANY OBJECT, ANY HOME, DEPENDS ON WHETHER HIS LOVED ONES ARE THERE OR NOT. WITHOUT HIS LOVED ONES, THE HOME IS NO LONGER A HOME.

ZIKLAG NOW
IT WAS NOT MEANT TO BE A LASTING BLESSING AND IT SIMPLY HAD TO SERVE ITS PURPOSE AND THEN IT’S GONE
ZIKLAG WAS NOT JUST ANY PLACE
ZIKLAG WAS A PLACE WHERE OVERWHELMING PAIN TOOK OVER WISDOM THREATENING THE VERY EXISTENCE AND FUTURE OF EVERYONE
HOW DO YOU REACT WHEN YOUR CORNER OF THE WORLD IS DESTROYED AND YOUR LOVED ONES THREATENED? What do you do when your life and your dreams are rendered meaningless?

LESSONS FROM ZIKLAG
SOONER OF LATER, ONE GETS INTO A ZIKLAG SITUATION WHERE THE PAIN BECOMES A BIT TOO MUCH; WHERE WISDOM IS RENDERED POWERLESS BY PAIN, WHERE OPTIONS BECOME DIFFICULT AND EVEN DAMAGING
The Danger of a mishandled Ziklag is that it can destroy us completely.

Learning from David’s Ziklag experience
What Important Lessons Can Be Learned From David’s Ziklag Experience?

I- WEEPING IS AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO A ZIKLAG PAIN
A ZIKLAG SITUATION REMINDS US THAT WEEPING IS SOMETIMES THE FIRST AND CORRECT OPTION WHEN WE ARE IN PAIN
A ZIKLAG TYPE PAIN CAN HAPPEN EVEN WHEN YOU ARE LIVING RIGHTEOUS LIVES
A ZIKLAG SITUATION DRAINS OUR ENERGY

II- WORSHIP IS THE RIGHT RESPONSE TO OUR WEEPING
BURDENS LIFTED UP TO GOD IN WORSHIP
BLAMING SOMEONE ELSE AS A NATURAL RESPONSE TO PAIN
BEHAVIORAL CONFUSION AS RESULT OF LACK OF WORSHIP

III- WORKING TOGETHER AS WORSHIPERS IS THE RIGHT WAY OUT OF OUT ZIKLAG PAIN
HAVING HEARD FROM GOD, DAVID CONVINCED THE 600 MEN THAT WORKING TOGETHER IS THE KEY TO THE SOLUTION TO THEIR PROBLEM.
EVEN WITH GOD’S INSTRUCTION, ONLY 400 WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT. NEVER EXPECT A 100% COOPERATION OR WE WILL BE DISAPPOINTED

A Summary
I- WEEPING IS AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO A ZIKLAG PAIN
II- WORSHIP IS THE RIGHT RESPONSE TO OUR WEEPING
III- WORKING TOGETHER AS WORSHIPERS IS THE RIGHT WAY OUT OF OUT ZIKLAG PAIN


What is this lesson’s relevance to us?
A reminder that although we may not be able to completely avoid a Ziklag Pain, out options while carrying our pains can either destroy us or deliver us.
Pain has a way of corrupting our options just as it can also compel us to worship God. When our options are corrupted, we look for someone to blame. When our options are corrected, we see to worship God.

Respond by:
Avoiding the pitfalls of Ziklag (Blaming someone, destroying the solution)
Avail of the lessons of Ziklag
Ziklag is temporary
Weeping is alright provided it leads us to worship
Working together instead of destroying each other is the way to defeat the Amalekites in our lives