Sweet Time -'Pursue, Overtake & Recover All'

Renewing myself in strength before the Lord are the sweetest times I have as I walk this journey. And today I had that time going up to the WPC, facing the majestic rocky mountains and spending few hours in worship before the Lord. King David did that time and again, he rested in the sovereignty of his God. Reading through 1 Samuel we find David is running from his enemy Saul and is hiding in the Philistine territories. During his stay in those territories the Amalekites an age old enemy of Israel raids David's camp at Ziklag (while he and his mighty men are away) and take captive the women, children and all their cattle as plunder. When king David and his men return 1 Samuel 29 says:

4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. 6 Now 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 his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

The strength of king David's mighty men had failed so much so that they wanted to stone their leader for failing them and blaming him for losing everything they had. However the last part of verse six is so inspiring and so awesome. Its an expression that we see multiple times in stories of his life and especially the psalms he has written - "And David encouraged himself and strengthened himself in God". After that David inquires of the Lord asking him "Shall I pursue the Amalekite troops?" and the Lord answers "Pursue, Overtake and without fail Recover all".

I know the word is for me and as I walked around WPC campus the Lord led me to look at the scripture stones that lay on the grounds and told me I have a word for you and I saw a stone that had the following verse:

Joshua 10:25 "Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight"

It is amazing how the word of the Lord can speak to the very circumstances of your life and spending time with the Lord reveals to us the hearts of our enemies and the battle plan to emerge victorious.Other sweet words that I had were from Psalm 86 and Psalm 89 and some of the promises I record here as stones of remembrance for my life.

Psalm 86:13- 14 & 17 "For Great is your mercy toward me, And You have delivered me sound from the depths of Sheol. O God, the proud have risen against me And a mob of vilent men have sought my life. And have not set You before them. 17 Show me a sign for good, that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, Because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

The verses that came from God's heart for me from Psalm 89: 19-26 were:

Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one. And said "I have given help to one who is mighty, I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found My servant David; With My holy oil I have anointed him, With whom My hand shall be established; Also My arm shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not outwit him. Nor the son of wickedness afflict him. I will beat down his foes before his face. And plague those who hate him. But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him. And in my name his horn shall be exalted. Also I will set his hand over the sea, And his right hand over the rivers. He shall cry to Me 'You are My Father My God and the rock of my salvation.'

I am encouraged and strengthened in the Lord.

Blessings & Shalom,

Sam Kurien