1. When life struggles hit hard: what do you do?
Lessons from the life of David
FSJ

2. David started as the beloved (ahav)
And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer (1 Sam. 16:21)
As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul (1Sa 18:1)
But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them (1Sa 18:16)
Now Saul's daughter Michal loved David (1Sa 18:20)

3. David faced lots of challenges in his life
And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David evaded him twice (18:11)
Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth (1Sa 19:18)
* His job as the chief of the army
* His wife (Michal)
* His best friend (Jonathan)
* His counsellor (Samuel)
* His ‘self-respect’:
So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard (1Sa 21:13)

4. People around David
Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.'" And he rose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city (1Sa 20:42 )
David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became captain over them. And there were with him about four hundred men (1Sa 22:1-2)

5. The Lord
And David spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said, "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. "For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears. (2 Sam. 22:1-7)

6. "Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations of the heavens trembled and quaked, because he was angry. Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub and flew; he was seen on the wings of the wind. He made darkness around him his canopy, thick clouds, a gathering of water. Out of the brightness before him coals of fire flamed forth. The LORD thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice. And he sent out arrows and scattered them; lightning, and routed them (22:8-15).