When Our Snow Fort Sank

Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the LORD said, “They will surrender you.” 1 Samuel 23:12

Over the years, my kids and I have built numerous snow sculptures and forts out on the frozen lake. One winter, as we aspired to build our greatest snow fort ever, a buddy brought some heavy equipment to make us a massive snow pile. As the pile grew to more than 12 feet high and 30 feet across, and as the ice began to pop and crack, I became concerned. Once we stopped piling snow though, it seemed to stabilize, and we went to work on our giant snow castle. The next morning, when I looked out on the lake, I was shocked to see that that most of that massive snow pile was gone. Its weight had pushed the ice down, allowing water to come up through the cracks, creating a moat around our castle. The ice, even though it was a couple of feet thick, simply couldn’t handle the weight we placed upon it.

This illustrates my life problem. I often place the weight of my life needs on people or things that cannot stand up to that burden. In my addiction, I sought my happiness in pills, but pills couldn’t make me happy. They could only make me addicted and miserable. Even in recovery now, it’s still tempting to try to try and find life in the wrong places. For instance, I may try to find my joy, peace, and meaning in my family, but they can’t bear the weight of that burden either. I was made by God to find joy, peace, and meaning in him alone, and when I try to find it anywhere else, I find that anything or anyone that’s not God will crumble under the weight, leaving me disappointed and miserable.

This principle is illustrated by David in today’s passage. In the story, David sought refuge from King Saul in the city of Keilah, surrounded by those who seemed to be on his side. But, as word spread that Saul’s army was coming, David asked God what to do. God told David that the people of Keilah would betray him. So, David and his men left Keilah. Faced with the decision to rely on men or on God, David chose to find his security in God. The people of Keilah couldn’t bear the weight of Davd’s needs, and so, he put his weight on God.

Daily now, I get up and spend the first 30 minutes of my day, praying, pointing my life at God, finding my anchor in him. I know my propensity to seek my joy and meaning in the wrong places, and so, I must daily choose to first find those things in God. In doing so, I find that I don’t want to try and find happiness in a pill and that I can enjoy healthy relationships with my family. Only God can bear the weight of my life’s needs and it’s only in putting my weight on him that I can live in right relation to the world around me.