Day 124, Chronological Bible Study Timeline. Map. Go to today’s Bible reading (use your browser arrow to return): Psalm 124; Psalm 108; Psalm 60; 2Samuel 8:9-14; 1Chronicles 18:9-13; Psalm 44; Psalm 20; 2Samuel 23:18-39; 1Chronicles 11:20-47
Handling Defeat
A victorious team has a continual streak of wins and then suffers a humiliating defeat. Why? A business wins many prestigious clients and is experiencing great success when they suffer a lawsuit against them. Why? A Christian family has a beautiful testimony. Then, one of the children goes astray into a corrupt and irreverent lifestyle. Why?
Sometimes what God permits in our lives does not make sense. Many of us have experienced it; we try to live with integrity and righteousness before the LORD, yet God, for some unknown reason, allows us to experience adversity and failure. We are confused and wonder, What happened? Where is God? King David felt like that.
What do we do when we suffer defeat? What can we learn from David?
Unexplainable Loss
In today’s Bible reading, the LORD is giving David great military success. He even gives him a gold crown to wear, which David acquires from one of the kings he defeats. And then, unexplainably, his army is defeated. Psalms 60, 44, and 20 record these military losses. We do not know anything else about them except what we read in these Psalms.
In Psalm 44, David writes,
All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant. Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path. But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals and covered us over with deep darkness.If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart? Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.What unexplainable losses have we experienced? What did God want us to learn from them? Can we continue to trust him even when we suffer defeats, or will we turn from the LORD and look elsewhere for help?
Trials test the mettle of our character.
James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ, will later write to persecuted Christians in the first century,
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom [about the trials he is facing], he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. (James 1:2-5, NIV)Emerging from defeat
How does David emerge from his military defeats? Does he grow stronger or weaker? In Psalm 60, he writes,
You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; you have been angry-- now restore us!You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger. But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow.
Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.
Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? [the next military battle] Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies?
Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies. (Psalm 60:1,3-5,9-12, NIV)
David persists in his confidence toward God. He realizes that even if the LORD allows his army to get beat, occasionally, God is still the only one who can give ultimate victory. He trusts in God’s sovereignty, wisdom, and goodness.
The lessons from David’s defeats are clear: when God allows us to experience losses, he wants us to keep trusting him.
Perhaps continual success without losing might cause us to get overconfident, much like a ball team with a long string of wins. For a victorious team to experience defeat is a humbling experience. It causes that team to go back to the basics or fundamentals of the game and not take their victories for granted. We do not know for sure that this is God’s purpose for the Israelites, but it makes them do that.
Overconfidence may not be the problem in our lives, but for some, it is. Have we taken God for granted that he will always give us victories? When we experience trouble or failure in our lives, we should do what David did. We should get back to the basics of our Christian experience—go to God in humility and beg him for help.
In our life, ultimately, it is not a strategy, superior strength, speed, or heroics, which will help us win—it is God. Do we know him? Do we depend upon him? Do we ask him for help?
David cries out to the LORD, “Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love” (Psalm 44:26, NIV). Like David, we can learn to depend on the LORD again for victories. Spoiler Alert! David’s next battle against the Edomites will be an enormous triumph!
If we continue to trust in God’s unfailing love, we can overcome failure, losses, or setbacks and win again!
Focus Verse
2Samuel 22:30 (NIV) “With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.”
Discussion
If we are serving God faithfully, why does God sometimes allow us to fail or suffer loss?
What should we do when God allows us to be defeated?
How can we emerge from our losses stronger versus becoming weaker in our Christian experience?
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Looking Ahead: After David suffers military defeat, he wins a great victory against the Edomites. Then, God gives him a A Glorious Promise for continuing to be faithful. Read about it in our Next Lesson.
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