The Game is on… But somehow, there’s a loophole, a gap… You begin to concede goals.

It’s easy to play on when you are on top of your game; when everything seems to be going according to plan. The greatest test for a team, however, is in its ability to recoup – after conceding a goal.

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

We live in times where everything seems to be moving so fast, we hardly have time to stop for a moment – to really get in touch with our feelings even in times of crisis; and worse still, we don’t form real relationships where we can honestly bare it all.

It’s interesting to note that David and his men were in touch with their pain – they acknowledged their feelings and wept; and had a brotherhood that was deep enough to express their pain before each other. They were really a Team.

1 Samuel 30:6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters.

While we may grieve our losses in unison, our natural inclination as humans is to find someone to blame for the crises we face. The men turned against David, as the Captain, oblivious of the fact that he, too, had lost his family. The whole Team easily takes the glory in victory; the Captain takes the brunt after a loss.

And yet, that’s the price a leader must pay. Summoning strength to give direction, rising above the situations, and providing solutions – even when they seem far-fetched.

1 Samuel 30:7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Abimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party?”

David understood that this situation was beyond him. He turned his eyes to the Heavens and inquired of the Lord.

Our success in life is determined – not by how we deal with the high moments (anyone can deal with that) – but by how we navigate through the low moments of our lives. In his moment of weakness, David found strength and direction from God.

1 Samuel 30:8 “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”

David’s confidence was not in his prowess. He knew he had Heaven’s backing for this assignment.

But even with the assurance from God, David faced a huge challenge as he was going on his mission.

1 Samuel 30:9-10 David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Ravine, where some stayed behind, for two hundred were too exhausted to cross the ravine.

As casual as it sounds, it must have been extremely demoralizing for David to leave behind some of his soldiers in the face of an insurmountable challenge – on flimsy grounds – such as fatigue.

For whatever reason, the people in the ‘desert places’ with you, might not necessarily be with you, when you have to conquer the next mountain. Some of your team mates may abandon you when it looks like the Team has no chance of making it. You must, however, maintain your focus – and move forward with the people God assigned to you for this phase of your journey.

1 Samuel 30:10b But David and his men continued their pursuit.

As we play in the game of life, we will encounter people, strategically placed to open doors or provide tactical information that will propel us to where we need to go. Your success in your next conquest is hinged on your ability to treat people with compassion and consideration.

1 Samuel 30:11 They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat – part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes raisins.

1 Samuel 30:15 -16 David asked him, “Can you lead me down to this raiding party?”….. He led David down, and there they were….

David’s victory was facilitated by a lowly person whose only connection with him was his generosity.

1 Samuel 30:18-19 David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives.

Be prepared for the people who abandoned the Team when it looked like it was losing – they will come out to celebrate your victory.

1 Samuel 30:21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Ravine. They came out to meet David and the people with him.

It is easy for us to ignore the people who left us when we needed them to be with us as we battled the issues of life.

Our test when we enter the place of Victory, the place of Abundance; is to forget the bad experiences and overcome the temptation to have an attachment to things, to accolades, to titles.

We must come to the place where we understand that all we have is given by God; to have the confidence that if we conquered this mountain, we can conquer the next; to embrace an abundance mentality – that gives and receives with open arms.

1 Samuel 30:23 David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with that the Lord has given us. he has protected us and handed over to us the forces that came against us……All will share alike”

All said and done, our spirit must remain intact – our love for our brethren, our fight for life, and the grace to keep playing and winning. Bon Voyage