Have you ever been to Ziklag?

The longer I live, the more faith I have in Providence, and the less I have in my interpretation of Providence. -- Jeremiah Day

Strange, isn't it, how God's providence can sometimes seem like punishment before we see how it unfolds?

In the case of David, he had been run out of the very country God had promised he would rule. He was forced to seek refuge in Goliath's homeland. He settled with 600 men in Ziklag (Philistia) and began raids on other settlements. (1 Samuel 28). When he was summoned to fight for the Philistine Army, their king called him blameless, and would have had his men as his personal guard, had the other Philistine leaders not feared his intentions.

He returned 'home' to Ziklag with his 600 fighting men, only to find everything gone. It was burned with fire, and every one of their families and livestock had been carried away.

David did what many of us do. He got emotional. He wept for his loss. He was faced with mutiny by a group of warriors who knew what to do with a sword. His response? Demonstrating the mark of a godly leader: "...David encouraged himself in the LORD his God."

Continuing in verse 8:

"And David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them?" And He answered him, "Pursue, for thou shalt surely overtake them and without fail recover all.

David's troops did give chase, they recovered their families and flocks, and added the flocks of their enemies.

So why did we examine this text, and how does it fit within the context of Providence?

It so happened, that while they were pursuing the bandits who ran off with their flocks and herds, God was vindicating him. God kept him far from the site where Saul and his family were to die, safeguarding David from accusations of sedition. God kept him out of the Philistine army which had defeated Israel. God was breaking David's ties to his hometown-in-exile. (You can't live in a town that's been burned down.)

God used this unpleasant experience to make a clean break between the time of their exile and the time of fulfillment. It also provided him herds to give as gifts to towns which had been friendly to his band.

David returned home to a nation which was now ready to receive him.

When life throws a curve, we find ourselves in a position where we may question why His plan isn't 'working out'. When that happens, remember:

You may have come to Ziklag.