What to do in a crisis - step two

If you've ever been suddenly and violently plunged into a crisis, you'll know how it shakes you to the core of your being and leaves you in a state of shock. Whether you were diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, or came home to find your house burgled; whether you lost your job or were falsely accused of a crime…. whatever your world shattering event was, it's normal to feel a mixture of conflicting emotions. Fear, anger, guilt, grief, loss, pain and confusion can all be there on the spectrum. David poured out his shock and grief with so many tears that he felt completely exhausted (vs 4) but he also moved beyond that to an even more important step.

After the initial shock and grief, things got even worse for David because the others around him started to feel bitter and to blame him for what had happened. Perhaps he even felt tempted to blame himself. This increased David's sense of distress, but he made a right choice amidst the pressure, and took his crisis to the Lord. 1 Samuel 30:6 tells us that David knew how to find strength in the Lord his God. This ability to draw on God's resources is what brought balance and courage back into David's life. His circumstances didn't change at all… but he was able to draw on God's grace and strength to face his heartbreaking situation and prepare for the road that lay ahead.

Some people want the comfort of others in a crisis and just keep looking for a shoulder to cry on. This is okay, but if it's the only thing we do, it could put us in danger of not taking this important second step of leaning on God. Other people by personality just want to be left alone with their pain, because they think that no one else will understand. This response is also understandable, but it could put us in danger of too much introspection and isolation. The right response is to begin strengthening ourselves in God.

Of course, if we haven't learned to draw on God's resources in the good times, if we haven't been regularly drawing on His strength and grace for our daily lives, it will probably be difficult to trust and lean on Him in a crisis. We need to keep "practising" this dependence on God when times are good, so that it will be a natural and instinctive response when a crisis shakes our lives.

Knowing how to draw on God's grace, hope and strength is a vital foundation for the third step in how to handle a crisis. Keep reading below.