February 2026

As I was praying and asking the Lord what He wanted me to share with you this month, I believe He spoke to me and told me to encourage you to stay not only in your spirit man but also in your mind. In Ephesians 6:10, the Apostle Paul tells us, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” Then in Romans 12:2, He tells us, And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove, what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

In the day we are living in, it seems like people spend more time being concerned about their physical strength and health. But when it comes right down to it, mental strength and health can mean even more. Many articles have been written on building strong characteristics of mental strength. Some of these things written about are: (1) Tenacity, (2) Grit, (3) Optimism, (4) An Unfailing Ability. But we can also define mental strength by identifying the things mentally strong people avoid! I am impressed by the Lord to give you some things that Believers, and we who consider ourselves to be mentally and spiritually strong, to stay away from and avoid. This will take me some time to do, so over the next several months, I’ll be giving them to you step by step.

Mentally strong people: (1) Don’t waste time feeling sorry for the circumstances, or dwelling on the way they’ve been mistreated by other people. They have learned to take responsibility for their own actions and outcomes. They have an understanding of the fact that frequently, “life isn’t always fair!” They’re also able to emerge from the hard circumstances and situations with self-awareness and gratitude for the lessons they have learned. When a situation turns out badly, they just simply says, “Oh well!” A great example we have of this is in the life of David before he actually became king over Judah and Israel.

In First Samuel 30:1-19, the Bible says, “And it came to pass, when David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire. And had taken the women captives, who were in it, they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. So David and his men came to the city, and it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. And David said to Abiathar the Priest, Ahimelech’s son, “I pray, bring me the ephod [Priestly Apron).” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. And David inquired at the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.” So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Besor Brook, where those who were left behind stayed. But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they could not go over the Besor Brook. And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he ate; and they made him drink water. And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins, and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him, for he had eaten no bread, nor drank any water, three days and three nights. And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” And he said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I fell sick. We made an invasion on the south of the Cherethites, and on the coast which belongs to Judah, and on the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.” And David said to him, “Can you bring me down to this company?” And he said, “Swear to me by God, that you will neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this company.” And when he had brought him down, they were spread abroad on all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the Land of the Philistines, and out of the Land of Judah. And David smote them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day, and there escaped not a man of them, except four hundred young men, who rode on camels, and fled. And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives. And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor anything that they had taken to them, David recovered all.”

I find it interesting in verse 6, the Bible says that David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. He didn’t wait for some to do for him, but he did it himself. Today too many Christians are waiting for someone to give them a word of encouragement, when the Bible says that David encourage himself in the Lord his God. Then as a result of David staying mentally strong, verses 18 and 19, tells us that everything that had been taken including David’s two wives, he was able to recover and take back. 

That doesn’t sound to me like a man who was weak in faith, nor weak mentally but it sounds to me like a man who was strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, It sounds to me like a man who didn’t allow the circumstances of life keep him down. But it sounds to me like a man who was strong mentally and courageously went after what rightfully belonged to him and his people.

No matter what you may be facing today, I want to encourage yourself in the Lord like David, stay in faith, stay in prayer, stay in the Word every day, make you daily confession, pray in the spirit for our nation, our leaders, and all who are in authority, pray for the peace of Jerusalem; and remember “God loves you; we love you and JESUS IS LORD!”

In The Service of Our King,

Darrell G. Harrelson