You Don’t Have to Pretend
ICS Daily Devotions
1 Samuel 30:1-6 (NKJV) 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, 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. 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. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. 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.
Most of us would, at some point in our lives, have felt down, discouraged, and beaten down. It could be triggered by anything—life’s circumstances, illnesses, or people’s remarks and actions. Don’t be deceived into thinking that some of the strongest personalities we know seem invincible! They may simply be more private and refuse to show their vulnerability. Sometimes, a person of such standing as David might find it difficult to look weak and discouraged, but the truth of the matter is that they do. David would likely have felt horrible because he wasn’t able to protect his family, even though he had accomplished other great exploits.
It is never easy for senior executives, public figures, and their spouses to reveal the vulnerable sides of their lives, for fear of exploitation by others. Keeping our cards close to our chest, most of us also present and report only the good things about ourselves. Sometimes, people also mistakenly think that pastors are always joyful, resilient, and immovable in all circumstances.
We might have the wrong impression that most of the characters in the Bible are always godly and unconquerable by life’s experiences. In fact, when Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah after his great victory over the prophets of Baal, he experienced a mood swing from the high of victory to the low of being threatened with death. In other words, even Elijah felt depressed and suicidal (1 Kings 19:1-4).
In the opening passage of Scripture, we see that David was deeply distressed, just like any other human being. What we must learn from him, however, is how he found strength in God even when his own men were ready to stone him—a sobering reminder that leadership sometimes comes at a painful cost.
Reflection: Do you feel that people expect you to always be upbeat or joyful? How does that pressure affect your ability to honestly acknowledge and process your emotions?
Sermon Series： 2026 CG Campaign — Up Part 1
