My Ziklag Story

The Bible describes how David “strengthened himself in the Lord” (1 Samuel 30:6) when his life seemed to unravel in Ziklag. I draw encouragement from this story whenever I feel crushed under the weight of the world and can recall a time when God strengthened me during what felt like the perfect storm.

I was laid off from work and diagnosed with cancer in June 2012. And my wife gave birth to our second daughter the same month, needless to say it was an emotional roller coaster.

I was under extreme stress and didn’t have the energy to pray for strength. But I was able to play the piano and worshiped in my own way. In a quiet moment of worship, I eventually uttered the melody, “When all seems to fail, You’re still Lord of all.”

That was a pivotal moment that defines me to this day. The song became my declaration and brought me to the cross, where I exchanged fear and weakness for faith and strength. It was in that Ziklag season that I learned how to strengthen myself in the Lord—by worshiping Him in the middle of the storm. In doing so, He became Lord over my circumstances, and my circumstances were no longer lord over me.

That subtle yet monumental shift in my heart opened the floodgates of strength and faith, no matter what I faced. My family and I still went through the storm, but all I see when I look back on that season is God’s strength and faithfulness.

- Dan DeFilippo