Day 73: 2 Samuel 21:15–22

The Philistines again waged war against Israel. David went down with his soldiers, and they fought the Philistines, but David became exhausted (v. 15).

King David returned to Jerusalem and realized he had to take back his throne rather than receive it from cheerful givers. The business of politics and inevitable battles must have seemed insurmountable. But one last enemy arose before he could take a breath and proclaim a victory.

One very familiar enemy. One very persistent enemy.

The Philistines were at it again.

Again David went to fight them, but this time he became exhausted in battle.

I am so thankful God chose to tell us David knew about exhaustion in battle! I need to know that others have experienced the weariness of fighting the same old enemy over and over. The word for exhausted in Hebrew is uwph. The word even sounds like something you might say at a glimpse of an old enemy! Uwph means “to cover, to fly, faint, flee away.”18 It is the overwhelming desire to run and hide.

When was the last time you wanted to run and hide? Few things make us want to flee more than the prospect of fighting an old battle. The moment an old enemy reappears, we want to run into the nearest forest and never come out. Have you ever noticed that Satan always chooses just the right time to haunt you through an old enemy? When you haven’t had enough rest, when things have been emotional and turbulent, when you’ve been swinging from one extreme to the other, when you’re completely vulnerable—that’s when the enemy strikes.

Satan is the counterfeit god of perfect timing. He’s watching for just the right moment to pull the rug out from under us, but even that rug is under God’s feet. And God always has victory in mind! He will never allow Satan to discourage you without a plan to lead you to victory! We may not always follow Christ to victory, but He is always leading! “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him” (2 Cor. 2:14).

One of the most important truths we can apply from David’s ongoing battles with the Philistines is that God will always lead us to victory—but He will lead us His way.