"I Don't Know What to Do!" | Guest Speaker: Pastor Al Downey

"I Don't Know What to Do!" | Guest Speaker: Pastor Al Downey

Sunday, January 11, 2026

 

What do you do when you don't know what to do?

1 Samuel 30:1-6 

"David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, ² and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.

³ When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. ⁴ So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. ⁵ David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. ⁶ David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God."

1. Sing

• Psalm 96:1  "Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth."

Praise

(song lyrics from Brandon Lake)

• Psalm 63:1  "You, God, are my God,  earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,
  in a dry and parched land where there is no water."
• Press in , dig deeper, lean in to God
• Psalm 34:18  "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

3. Stay

• Psalm 46:10 "He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
• Soak in God's presence
• Psalm 16:11  "You make known to me the path of life;  you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."
• Psalm 91:1  "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."
• Isaiah 26:3  "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you."
• Teach me, Lord, to wait on you... wait until God has settled your spirit in His presence...

4. Study

• Psalm 119:98 & 105  "Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies.",                "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."
• Store up the word of God in your heart, memorize scripture so that you'll have it when you need it!
• Many of us are starving spiritually - we need more of the word of God
• "Don't close the book!"
• What you've stored up in your heart will come out in crisis when you need it most!

5. Speak!

• "A Silent Believer is a Defeated Believer!" - Don't be silent!
• Psalm 89:1b  "...with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations."
• Revelation 12:11  "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
• Public confession - if you've been healed, share it!  Don't keep it to yourself!
• Psalm 22:22  "I will declare your name to my people;  in the assembly I will praise you."
• Psalm 34:1-3  "I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.  I will glory in the Lord;
      let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together."
• Psalm 18:29  "With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall."

Whom Shall I Fear (God Of Angel Armies)

(Song lyrics from Chris Tomlin)