Have you ever felt alone to the extent no one cared about you?  Have you had friends turn their backs on you in times of trouble?  Have there been people in your life who really wanted to see harm come to you?  Perhaps there were people who were hurting, and blamed you even though you were not responsible for their problems.  Any one of these situations can make you feel depressed and/or distressed.  What should you do when you find yourself in that kind of situation?  Should you have a pity party and just give up on life?  Should you turn to alcohol or drugs to drown out the pain you feel?  Both of those options should be avoided.  If I were you, I would follow David's example as revealed in the passage above.  The text states that "David encouraged himself in the Lord his God."
          

      In that passage, David came to Ziklag, his home at the time, to find that his family had been taken away along with the families of his "Mighty Men."  Their homes had been burned and their valuables carried away.    These men had been very loyal to David and had fought many battles with him.  However, when they realized that their families had been taken while they were out helping him, they lifted up their voices and wept until they had no more power to weep (vs. 4).  In fact they were so upset, that they talked about stoning him.  David realized that at that moment he was alone as far as human companionship was concerned.  His only option, was to "encourage himself, in the Lord!"  He prayed, and God answered his prayer by instructing him regarding what he should do next.  He pursued those who had taken the families; defeated them; and recovered their families as well as everything that had been taken from them. 
          

     How can we "encourage ourselves today in the Lord?"  Here are a few suggestions:   
1. PRAY

2. SING UPLIFTING SONGS

3. MEDITATE ON GOD'S GOODNESS
4. REMEMBER THOSE INSTANCES IN YOUR LIVES WHERE GOD HAS DELIVERED YOU OUT OF SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES BEFORE, AND

5. HAVE AN "ANY HOW" PRAISE PARTY.

No matter how difficult matters are, PRAISE GOD ANYHOW!   The next time you need encouragement and no one else is available, just "encourage yourself in the Lord!"