Pursue

("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. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."John 10:10-11) We have all had it happen to us. We go to the doctor and they tell us something we don't want to hear. We receive an unexpected bill in the mail that we cannot pay. One of our friends or loved ones is in the hospital. We go to work and our hours are cut or even worse the company says they cant keep our position. Satan is the thief and he wants to steal everything and anything he can from us. He wants to do what he can to steal your love for the Lord. Satan comes and takes things from you to make you say"Why?". Satan is using so many distractions in our lives. Satan wants to distract you from God. David and his army returned to their home (I Samuel 30:3 "So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, [it was] burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives." ) David's men wept uncontrollably until they had no tears left to cry, like so many of us have done at our worst time. Instead of going after the thieves of their wives and children the men turned their anger towards David. David not only had to worry about losing his wife and children now he had to worry about losing his own life. (I Samuel 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.") In our time of need we need to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and questioning God. We need to do what David did and ENCOURAGE ourselves in Him! (I Samuel 30: 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.") David could have laid down and given up and suffered the loss of his family and his life. Instead David turned to the God who restores what Satan has taken! (I Samuel 30:19 "And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all."). In our time of need we can sit around and cry about it or we can take action. We can sit back and say "This must be the will of the Lord" or we can encourage ourselves in the Lord and pursue and overtake Satan and restore what was taken from us.