Recovery Mission

RECOVERY MISSION

1Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake 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.

7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

Last week we talked about finding encouragement and where it comes from. This week I want us to see what encouragement enabled David and his men to do. Notice in verse 7 that David called for the ephod, which were the high priest shoulder piece containing stones. It was a part of the high priest vesture when he was ministering before the Lord. We know David was not the high priest but still he asked for this garment and enquired of the Lord what to do, to pursue or not. God told David to pursue and recover all. That was a sweet sound to David as God told him to go get his stuff along with the women and children. We know that David did recover all, and that it would not have been possible without him encouraging himself and seeking God’s will in the matter.

There is a song that was sung quite a bit several years ago that was based on this event. It went something like “I went to the enemy’s camp and took back what he stole from me”. Today many Christians have been robbed and either they don’t know it or they are afraid to do anything about it. Instead walk around in “gloom, despair and agony on me”, a little Hee Haw for my friend Jim McComas. When the enemy has came and taken from us we need to encourage our selves in the Lord and then seek His will on getting our stuff back. Our enemy is out to take everything from you that he possibly can, for scripture tells us this is what he does.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Has the thief stolen anything from you? What about your peace, your joy, your desire to grow in the Lord, or maybe he has stolen your desire to serve the Lord. He wants to take these things from the Christian. I don’t care how long you have been a Christian. It matters not it you have been saved 2 days or 50 years you are susceptible to being robbed. If you have lost any of these they are still available to you. Just encourage yourself in the Lord and ask Him if you can recover all and I believe He will answer you recover all.

A word of warning there are some things that you cannot recover on your own, a wayward child, a drunken spouse, a drug user, an abuser or some other harmful situation.

In these instances continue encouraging yourself in the Lord and seek His will for each situation, on what you can or should do. David did not recover all on his own, it was the Lord that enabled him.

Have a great day!!