You Can Recover All Remember that David ran in unbelief from the land of Judah to the land of the Philistines. David sought security from Saul. It was a carnal impulse of David, and during his stay in Ziklag David had attacked some Amalekite cities. No doubt these people now know David and his army are off fighting and take advantage of his home left unprotected. You see David is marching with the Philistines to war against the people of God. He is on the warpath against the people of God! He is fighting for the wrong side for the wrong cause! While David is involved in a cause that he should not be involved in, those who are dear to David are left open to attack. Too many homes become burned with the fire of sin because FATHERS are absent fighting for the wrong cause! We must be careful to choose the causes we get involved in, for there are Amalekites who will take advantage of us when we are vulnerable. God graciously intervenes. The Philistines turn against him! Here we see the LORD working FOR David when others are turning AGAINST him! Oh what a God we serve! He can make the wrath of man to bring about good in our lives, for as David makes the three day journey home, he finds another problem. If the Philistines allowed him to go fight Israel, he would not have known the devastation that happened in his home of Ziklag. The city where his family and all the families of his 600 man army is burned with fire and all the women and children are taken captive. His home is burned to the ground! Tears burst forth like floodgates and they weep until they are weary and have no more strength. He had fled from the cave to seek security in the Philistine country and he got what he wanted?for a short time! He fled from the cave, ended up in endangering his whole family. David’s unbelief led to: His Home burned with fire! His family taken captive! His soul weary of weeping! Next look at what David’s unbelief brings: mutiny among his men. The people spake of stoning him. These were those who came to David in their debt, distress and discontent David was deeply distressed and the people were very bitter at David. David was being emotionally squeezed. What pressure for David! What does David do? He has lost his home, that which provided security. He has lost his family, those he loved. He has lost his support, those he led. He has lost his peace, he was greatly distressed. How can David recover what he lost? Have you ever lost something? We can lose things very quickly. Our circumstances can change in an instant. Maybe you have lost the joy of the Lord. Maybe you have lost your spouse. Maybe you have lost a friend. Love for God. A zeal to serve the Lord. Your health. Your financial security. Your parents, your children, your friends. Your relationship with God. Your belongings, your dreams, your hopes. God tells David in the middle of this city burned to the ground, ?without fail (you will) recover all.? 1. SEEKS Strength from God David is in distress. What does he do? He encouraged himself in the Lord! That is, he turns to God to receive courage. He does not turn to man. How different David responds to distress than Saul. Saul turned to a medium, a witch of endor when he was in distress, 1 Samuel 28:15 With charred embers under his knees he bows before the Lord and turns to Him in the midst of his calamity. It was better to be in the ashes of Ziklag than to be in war against the people of God, however! Be thankful even when you have lost everything, for at least it put you on your knees! As David encourages himself in the Lord, he David worships and fellowships with God. He is not asking for ANYTHING yet, although EVERYTHING he had was lost. He first seeks God for God Himself, for WHO He is; not for what He can do for David. David puts himself before the Lord and humbles himself so that he may be strengthened by the mighty hand of God. Ezra 7:28 I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me? David with a contrite heart, with a heart convicted of his unbelief, confesses his sin and humbles himself before the Lord. The key to being strengthened by God is to humble yourself before the Lord. Then, I think David Repents of his past behavior. Recalls God’s past provision and goodness. Relies on God’s power. Remembers God’s promises that are good every moment of the day Reassures his heart for the present and the future. When we are at wit’s end, faith begins. When we are at the end of our wits we are at the beginning of faith. Two things happen in David as he receives courage from God: He has a renewed perspective. He has a renewed persistence. David is ready to persist. He will not quit. Do you know why we should not quit? Because God is at work in us and through us. God is at work for us even when others turn against us. God is at work in us even when we lose all. God desires to work through us even when others think we are beyond usability! His working which worketh in me mightily (Col.1:29). It is God which worketh in you, therefore LABOR by the grace of God which is with you. 2. ASKS Direction from God David now ASKS, or enquires of the Lord. He has learned his lesson. No longer will he merely consult his own heart, but he will acknowledge Him and let God direct His paths. If you have lost things, there is a very simple task for you to do: ASK! Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Ask is such a HUGE word in the Bible. Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek, and ye shall find, knock, and the door shall be opened unto you. Ask God for direction! Ask God for His provision! Do not be ashamed. Do not hesitate. James 1:5; Ask of God? James 1:6; Ask in faith? James 4:2; ye have not, because ye ask not. James 4:3; ye ask amiss, that ye man consume it? Look at the wonderful results of asking of God: David receives a PROMISE David is DECISIVE now. When you have the promises of God in your soul, you can move confidently and decisively. We can move decisively because God answers precisely. Hopelessness is replaced with confidence as he has received strength and direction. 3. PURSUE in Confidence for God Notice how God subdues the anger of David’s army. When you receive strength from God and ask God for clear direction, he can calm you down and give you strength to go forward. Pursue the Amalekites that destroy those things dear to you and take captive your loved ones! Amalek was a descendant of Esau, the secular, worldly, flamboyant son of Isaac. (Gen.36:12) Amalek’s descendants grew into a small nation that was ever the enemies of Israel. In Exodus 17:8, it was Amalek who came and fought the battle against Israel. Deut. 25 tells us he attacked the faint and weary and that he smote the hindmost of the nation. Moses’s arms were held up by Aaron and Hur, and Joshua discomfited Amalek. The LORD promised, ?I will utterly put out the remembernace of Amalek from under heaven.? Moses built an altar and called it Jehovah-nissi and said, ?the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.? Deuternonomy 25:17-19 also tells us that Amalek attacked those weak and weary. God again promises that he will blot out the rememberance of Amalek from under heaven. Saul was given the job of bringing this judgment upon Amalek, but he disobeyed. David had attacked some Amalekite towns and now they returned the favor. Balaam prophesied that Amalek would “perish forever.” Num.24:20 Notice how David pursues: PATIENTLY with his army: As they came to a certain brook, 200 could not go on any further. They were too faint and weary so they were made to stay by some of the their stuff. They did not make these 200 go forward. David was flexible to pursue even if things do not go according to plan. MERCIFULLY with the dying: As David’s army pursues the Amalekites, they come across an Egyptian in the field, who was dying of sickness, hunger, and thirst. He was left heartlessly by the Amalekites as they fled from Ziklag with all their spoil. They could not even give this sick man some food to perhaps help him regain his strength. This pictures how we are to have mercy upon those who are weak and sick in sin. This man was starving of hunger. Those who are hungry and know it, those who are sick and know it, need MERCY and LOVE. Can they find it here? This man like so many all around us, have been rejected and forsaken, abandoned because he was of no further use to his master. Notice the compassion of David. I cannot help but to see him as one like Christ. This poor, starving, dying man was brought to David and he was revived. Were we not brought to Jesus and he cleansed us with his blood, and as we believed in Him as our bread of life he saved us and now we NEVER HUNGER, and so that now our of our belly flow rivers of living water, for the water that Jesus gives leads us to never thirst, but is like a well of water springing up into everlasting life! BOLDLY with the Careless Sinners: This man leads David and his army to where the Amalekites were, and look at their carlessness! They are spread abroad, care free and careless, eating, and drinking, and dancing. Here they were in their party, thinking all was safe and sound, there is no fear of God in these Amalekites. We are at peace and safety, but then ?sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. (1 Thess.5:3) There they were, eating, drinking and dancing without thought of David coming to destroy them, without thought of death being mere moments away, without thought of judgment to come, without thought of God! Is that not what it will be like on the day that Jesus comes, ? with flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.? We need to boldly tell those all around us of salvation because there is coming a day when ?the Lord cometh, with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds, which they had ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.? If you came to the Amalekite camp, they would just say, hey, we are having a good time. Everybody is doing it. It is not that bad. David showed mercy to that Egyptian who was sick and dying, and now he shows great judgment as he slays these wicked Amalekites who hated God with all their heart. David was pursing them, but do you know that God was pursuing them, too. Do you know that God pursues the wicked? Psalm 18:37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed. Nahum 1:7,8 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies. David pursued the Amalekites and recovered all. 4. GIVE Generously If you desire to recover all, do not plan in advance to horde what you get or squander it on yourself. David shares the spoils with the 200 who had abode by the stuff. Verse 24. There were some who wanted to horde the spoil rather than to give it to those who were too weary. Even in David’s army there were trouble makers, some ?men of Belial.? There is no perfect army, no perfect church either! Some people are just disagreeable when you want to give to others! Would it not be nice if Christians could always agree? It just is not possible. ?When you don’t agree, commit to generosity!? We will not agree on everything, but we can agree that we need to give to those in need. We can agree that it is good to give to the cause of Christ and missions. We can give out of what God gives us. David is a giver, not a taker. David shares the spoils with his other friends in Judah. These were others who had helped David during his days of wilderness wandering. There is a little phrase that gives us a key as to why David willingly gave to others: he realized that the spoils were what ?the LORD hath given us.? The key to our stewardship and giving is to know that everything belongs to God and that whatever we have has been given to us freely of the Lord. Freely you have received, freely give! When we give to those in need we are giving as unto the Lord. You Can Recover All! 1. Seek Strength from God 2. Ask Direction from God 3. Pursue In Confidence for God 4. Give Generously unto God
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 07:15:47 +0000
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