Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, ² and had taken captive the women and those who werethere, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. ³ So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. 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. ⁷ Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. ⁸ So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them? ”And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” ¹⁸ So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. ¹⁹ And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all.

David had a distressing experience – as Pastor Billy Johnson said, “it knocked the man out of him”. Like us, David asked why?

Bad things can happen due to:

The enemy’s retaliation (1Sam 27:8). We attack the enemy, so he retaliates.

Other people’s rebellion or disobedience (1 Sam 15:3,9). We can be in a fight that we didn’t start. We are in it because someone didn’t finish the previous fight.

Things we must do before we can recover all:

Get God’s strength (vs 6)

• David encouraged himself in the Lord.
• Our Strength comes from the Person of Christ (Phil 4:13), the Love of Christ (Eph 3:16 & 17) and the Resources of Christ (Eph 6:10).

Get God’s strategy (vv 7 & 8)

• David inquired and waited for God’s response.
• We need to get before God and wait on him to know His Will, get His Wisdom, and know His Way.

How do we recover all?

Pursue – to run after with hostile intent vs 9

We will never achieve what we are not willing to pursue.

Attack – to strike, hit and go forward vs 16 & 17

Ask God for the strength to strike, hit and go forward.

Recover all – deliver, snatch away (vv 18 & 19)

Happy Father’s Day!