When You Don’t Want to Go On

What do you do when you’re doing the best you can, and after you've done all you know to do, your best is still not good enough, and you still seem to fail?

You’ve worked on the marriage. You’ve fought for the family. You’ve tried to fix the finances. You’ve tried to hold your emotions together, but they are overwhelmed by the constant blows of life’s reality.

Things just don’t seem to work out the way you want them to. You get tired of trying over and over, and you still fail at what you do.

You have feelings of hurt, doubt, and despondency, and sometimes you feel like you want to give up on life. Sometimes you even believe there's just no reason to keep trying.

You wake up in the mornings with a heaviness on your heart. You go to bed with unanswered questions. You smile in public, but behind closed doors, you struggle with the reality of life's disappointments and pain.

There are moments when you wonder, how much longer can I keep doing this? What is the point of trying again and again?

Some of you have wept until you have no more power to weep.

What do you do!? This message is for you!

We will learn from David's life when he reached a point where all seemed lost. Even after doing what he thought was best, things only got worse.

When we think of the life of David, most of us think about his victory over Goliath or his irresponsible act of adultery with Bathsheba.

But there are many more things to learn from the life of David. He had many low points in his life, but from one of them, we will reveal an important lesson he learned that guided him throughout the rest of his life. This lesson taught him how to gain victory time and time again in life’s depressing situations, no matter how overwhelming they may have seemed at the time.

We will evaluate one day in David's life, a time when he also felt tremendously depressed and discouraged. Then we will learn from him how to overcome life’s sometimes terrible situations and live life in a more successful manner.

We will learn from David and the Son of David today what to do ...

When You Don’t Want to Go On

1 Samuel 30:1–6 NKJV

1 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, 

2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. 

3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. 

4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 

5 And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. 

6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

Of all of his trials, this is perhaps his most distressing. The Amalekites, his enemy, had burned his city.

They had taken everyone captive: women, children. They did not kill anyone, but apparently, they were going to make them slaves. 

Imagine the thoughts the men faced when they returned to the city after following David's leadership. Their families were taken, and they had nothing to look forward to or believe in. 

They wept until they had no more power to weep. Certainly, all every man could think about was his wife and daughters being raped and abused. The situation is so bad that David's men threatened mutiny and even talked of stoning David. 

There was no hope on the horizon. Think of the desperation of his situation. 

Some of you have wept until you had no more power to weep. And just like David at Ziklag, 

You look at the ashes of what once was. You see damage you cannot reverse. You are experiencing consequences you cannot escape.

And the most dangerous battle is not around you. It is inside you.  It is the battle for your heart!

This is one of the worst of David's trials, but from it he gains knowledge of a superior strength. 

1 Samuel 30:6 NKJV

6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

What David discovered in this crisis is what the Son of David fully explains and tells what to do just before he went to the cross to die.

Now listen up!

When you feel like you don’t want to go on, when you are exhausted, when you are discouraged, when you are tempted to stop trying. 

There is a way to stand even when everything around you has fallen. 

Remember who you really are and the power of the Holy Spirit that is in you, strengthen yourself with the knowledge of your God, and then learn from the son of David.

John 14:1 NKJV

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

Both situations looked like total failure. David's men face the loss of everything.  The disciples faced the loss of Jesus, and death was a possibility to David; his men were talking of stoning him, but death was a certainty to Jesus because the people were about crucify him.

Their expectations were collapsing. 

But as they were about to face an impossible situation, they both recognized that the impossible was to turn to the God who could make the impossible possible.

Today, we have to learn the same thing that David learned, with the confidence that the Son of David, Jesus, also told us what to do.

As David found his strength in the Lord, his God. The Son of David, Jesus, told his disciples also to believe in him as Lord and in him as God.

David strengthened himself by looking to God. We strengthen ourselves by believing in Christ.

John 14:1 NKJV

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

This is not a suggestion. It is a command!

The word let implies a choice. And it is for man.

But the heavens and the earth were commanded into existence with the very word “let”. 

When you learn to submit to God's command, to “let”,  the power of God, brought about by the Holy Spirit, will give you the ability to overcome the troubles that face you.

Faith replaces panic. Belief replaces despair.

None of us can control the events that happen in our lives, but we can control what rules in our hearts.

David faced a burned city.

The disciples faced a crucified Messiah.

You face an uncertain future, and when you don't want to go on .

in the midst of these challenges, learn from the past and stand on the word of Christ,

Don't let your heart be governed by what you see with your physical eyes

Learn to discern with your spiritual eyes.

Just like David, find your strength in the written word of God. Don't read with just your eyes, let them be the physical connection to your heart.

Proverbs 15:30 NKJV

30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy.

Strengthen yourself in the Lord by reading his word. Read the good report that will rejoice your heart and make your bones healthy.

Meditate upon his promises and believe on his word.

John 14:27 NKJV

27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Notice:

• It is His peace
• It is not circumstantial
• It must be received

David strengthened himself in the Lord.
You strengthen yourself by receiving Christ’s peace.

John 15:11 NKJV

11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

Look at that!

Joy is tied to His words. Not to outcomes. Not to your comfort.

If you disconnect from His words, you disconnect from His joy.

1 Samuel 30:6 NKJV

6 Now David was greatly distressed, ....But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

David knew this

Psalm 30:5 NKJV

5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

And Jesus said this

John 16:20 NKJV

20 Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.

and again he said

John 16:22 NKJV

22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

This is a promise!

When you meditate upon his word, let your eyes bring joy to your heart. 

Realize that the creator of the universe said it is up to you to allow his command to take charge of your heart. 

If you do, you will walk in the promise of untouchable joy!

Listen, and know this the circumstances may remain hard, but Christ gives peace before circumstances change

David’s city was still ashes but he found his joy in the lord.
The disciples would still see a cross and a crucified Lord

David’s city was still ashes, but he found his joy in the lord.
The disciples would still see a cross and a crucified Lord

But know this, 

Your Peace is rooted in Christ’s victory, not what you see with your natural eyes!

It doesn't matter what you see, hear, think, or feel, all that matters is what Christ says!

John 16:33 NKJV

33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

He does not say you will not have trouble. There will be times when you don't want to go on

But in those times, he commands courage.

Courage not to face the enemy, but as he told Joshua, Courage to do his word

Joshua 1:7 NKJV

7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

We must have the courage to believe in God and in Christ

Believe and then

Philippians 4:6–7 NKJV

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 

7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

David had to guard his heart from despair and mutiny.

You must guard your own also from anxiety.

2 Corinthians 4:8–9 NKJV

8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 

9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—

David was pressed. But not crushed. So shall it be with you!

So, when

You do not want to go on:

1) Do not let your heart rule you

2) Let Christ’s word rule you

3) Receive His peace

4) Stand in His joy

And 

5) Let not your heart be troubled, Believe in God and believe also in Jesus

And then

6) Let the promised Joy of the Lord be your strength!

When everything around you in your world caves in, do not cave in inwardly. Don’t carry the burden of your troubles!

Look up, from whence comes your help. The Christ who said, ‘Let not your heart be troubled,’ is the same Christ who overcame the world.”

Now, finally you know!

When You do not want to go on:

7)KNOW THAT YOUR HELP COMES FROM THE LORD!