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Reflections

Jottings from My Journals

Journal entries are memorial markers… sort of like the stones Joshua piled up from the River Jordan. Reading past entries helps put today’s problems in focus. Here’s another quote from March 1988.

David at Ziklag

How many levels can you fight on and not get discouraged? At Ziklag, David demonstrated the possibility of multi-level victory by finding strength in the Lord.

His first conflict was his battle with Saul—an on-going conflict not of his own making. Second was the rejection by the Philistines. Apparently David loved a good fight, no matter which side he was on. The Philistines did not trust him in battle and rejected him.

The third level was his personal loss because his family was captured while he was at war. How devastating that would be! Then the men with him talked of stoning him. They had become bitter because they were also fighting personal battles on many levels. The final level of conflict was with the Amalekites with whom he actually fought and won victory—after he had inquired of the Lord.

1 Samuel 30:6 (NIV) says:

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.

The King James Version says, “David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”

No wonder David felt great distress…similar to what I am feeling today. How many levels of conflict am I fighting?

1. Problems within the church (Kingdom problems like David and Saul’s battles)
2. Problems in the world (international problems like David and the Amalekites)
3. Problems in our family (David experienced these also)
4. Problems of the office staff (similar to David’s problems with his men)
5. Problems with spiritual warfare (like David’s ongoing war with the Philistines).
6. The secret to survival—strength and encouragement in the Lord! David found victory in three or four areas—some battles never seem to go away completely. 

What is interesting about reading old journal entries is the different perspective time brings. For the life of me, I cannot remember what my problems were in 1988. Situations that seemed desperate then are vague memories, but what remains is the spiritual lesson gained. Thank God for selective memory!

Possibly my memory fails because I feel the ominous pressures of today. My list would be very similar although situations have changed. The consoling factor is that the same truth also applies—strength and encouragement comes from the Lord.

Points to Ponder:

How many levels of conflict are you experiencing today? Are they similar to what you experienced in the past? Are you dealing with people who may be experiencing multi-level conflict also? What have you learned from past struggles that helps you today?

PEGGY MUSGROVE is a licensed Assemblies of God minister. She is also a speaker, freelance writer, author and prayer group leader. Her latest book, Musings of a Maraschino Cherry was released in 2004.. You can visit her at www.musgroveville.com.

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