Hello and welcome to one on one. We are so pleased that you've chosen Christian programming to be in your homes And we are honored and blessed that you have chosen us But you've already come a glothling to come and to break the bread of life with you and bring the good news And yes, it is the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ It's awesome technology and wherever you're hearing this from we just appreciate you taking the time to get into God's word with us Letting us share the just the beauty and the glory of God in your life Because he downloads things into us that we know will encourage you and that's what we've always been about is a ministry to throw a lifeline It's a tough it's a tough walk. There's a lot of tribulations There's a lot of challenges and we want to be a part of encouraging you to fight the good fight of faith And that's why we are here to encourage to uplift to let you know that God's got the plan and we are all in this together And we're gonna hold the line and God speaks things into our hearts that we just are so excited to encourage you with and we really feel that this message will be an encouragement to you today and There are many times buddy when we go through hardships and trials that the Lord will speak to us and he'll say now Just be still and know that I'm God. Just just just be still just the battle is mine I'm going to fight this battle and in that time we pray we'll fast we will trust in God But then there are other times that God instructs us to pursue overtake and reclaim what's rightfully ours and we have to know what what God you know It's it's kind of a juggling act sometimes you know you're saying God do I need to be steel do I need to listen?
What do I need to do? Well, how do you know what to do? Well if that doesn't work and you go pursue You know sometimes the battles get long and tiresome too I mean and you know you take some defeats and you have some victories Yeah, and you know sometimes the defeats seem to be greater than the victories or the enemy seem to be more than then you can stand to face And we all go through those times we you know what we're talking about I mean we we've all raised families. We've all lived through this world for many years not Veronica not so many not many We have we have those challenges and the enemy is relentless I mean he pursues and pursues and pursues and the more witnesses he can find the more things he could do to discourage us He will do if we will hear him and the big thing we keep telling you this over and over and over know whose voice you listen to Listen to the voice of the one who loves you who wants good things for you if things are being spoken of defeat of negative into your life That's not God speaking into your life That's the enemy trying to rob you from the victory that God has for you And we can get lost in the moment and we can feel defeated and that's okay But just don't stay there You've got to pick yourself up dust yourself off and say I serve a God who gives me a hope and a promise And I'm gonna fight it till I realize that exactly and when we look at the life of David He's a prime example.
I mean he took some hard licks There were some times that he was down in the dust and God says okay get up But he would get up and he would go again and you know He was anointed when he was 17 years old but he wasn't even supposed to be no They wanted to pick his dad wanted to pick all of his other sons other than you know Especially the firstborn of in a dab and he's like you know I'm the one and Samuel comes and God's like you know That's not the one he goes all the way down the line and he's like do you have another one and he's like well There's a little ready boy out in the field. Yeah, you know God sees the heart Yeah, we have a tendency to look on people's appearance and when Samuel saw him God said that's the one so when he was 17 Yeah, he had the promise that he was going and he was anointed King right there to be king of Israel But he did not take the kingship at the time because Saul was still king Saul had fallen out of God's grace He had disobeyed God the Spirit of God had left him and there was a period of time that we knew that Saul was not going to be king But in this interim of these 13 years then David's character was built He wasn't ready to be king of Israel many times when we go through these trials God is building our character so that we can fulfill the destiny that God has for us We know that David had a great destiny the enemy also knows that we have a great destiny and that David had a great destiny So he's going to do everything that he knows he's going to pull out all of his bag of tricks to thwart that destiny We know how that feels we know how it feels to be called to be chosen and then you go through things You go through trials you go through very difficult seasons and my grandfather one thing that he would always say said You know you may be down, but you rise above it I remember him saying that to me you rise above it and that's what we see David doing over and over and over again He's very low we read in the Psalms that it's like God where are you you know my enemies are coming against me Where are you and then he'll have breakthrough and then he'll start praising God Well, this has happened over the course of really 13 years now that basically he was on the run from Saul He had been living in caves with 600 losers, you know, that's what the Bible calls them You know they they joined with him. That's all he had basically and you know, it was when I was reading this story I remember going back because two and a half years ago We were there in Israel and we saw the caves of Angeti where he hid from Saul. So this was a time that you know He really had no home, you know, it's like God.
I've been anointed king But I don't have anywhere to go So he kind of piled up with the Philistines he piled up with the enemy and then the Philistines says well, you know You're pretty good fighter You can come and fight with us and we'll give you a little plot of land called zig lag for your ragtag Group of men and your wives and your children in here. You can just stay here. It wasn't in Israel zig lag was in the enemies Can basically so we're gonna pick up the story where? David and his men had gone on a raid and they had gone and they were fighting with the Philistines and they were Rating and they came back and as they were topping over the mountain The only thing that really David had with this little plot of land was zig lag and then he sees all of this smoke Everything was burning and he's like, you know, the only thing that I could call my own basically now It's gone.
So we're gonna pick the story up in first Samuel beginning in chapter 30 now When it happened when David and his men came to zig lag on the third day The Amalekites had invaded the south and zig lag attacking zig lag and burned it with fire and had taken captive the women And who were there from the small to the great? So when David and his men came to the city and they saw that it was burned with fire and their sons and their women and their Daughters were taken captive then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and they wept until they had no more power to Wept I feel like at this point David was feeling God. This is it. This is a last straw for me I have battled long and hard for 13 years and now everything that I have held dear It's gone and I'm sitting here in ashes How many of us have been there at this very place in time that we've said God, you know I don't know anywhere else to go I've lost everything and then we have a choice at that particular time And I've seen that I see that you know The enemy is probably encircling around him and that's when the enemy loves to prey on us with a spirit of hopelessness Why don't you just give up?
You know, it's never going to change here You thought you were anointed you thought you were called to do something great And here you are sitting in ashes the lies of the devil that are just coming and it reached a point It says now David was greatly distressed I mean they had cried and they had wept and you know They were just saying God what do we do and then if that wasn't bad enough These 600 men who had been loyal to him for these 13 years, you know They were kind of edgy and raw to at this point They were greatly distressed for the people spoke of stoning him now his best friends were turning against him You've been there it's like man I thought you were with me in this and because the soul of the people was greed every man for his sons and daughters And he's like God. What do I do now? What do I do David was at a pivotal point in his life? He could say okay guys, you're right You know, I've led you to this place and you know I maybe I missed it and just I just give up just pick up the rocks and just go to it But there was something that rose up on the inside of David and that they buddy their times that their times that it has to rise up in us And we've been there at those pivotal times We've been there in hospital rooms when we've gotten diagnosis and we can either take it Or we could rise up and we could say no, we're going to fight and every single time we would rise above it rise up No matter what the prognosis was we would rise above it and that's what David did But David strengthened himself in his God.
That's what we do Yes, we strengthen ourselves what's on the inside of us what the enemy wants to destroy we have to get rid of the clutter We have to get rid of the lies of the devil. We can't look at the circumstances. We can't look at the ashes We can't look at what's been taken away. We have to have something the Holy Spirit rise up in us and say no This is not my destiny God has given me a destiny and I'm going to pursue I will overtake and I will reclaim you know David was at that critical point that when all he had was God That's all you need that's all you need when everything else is gone when everything else is stripped away when when everything that is familiar To you is gone.
You still have God. He never leaves you never forsakes you will stick with you closer than a brother and David Looked to the heavens from where his strength was we'd always gotten his strength in his direction You know yeah, it was a tough time I mean that's a tough time when you look around you and you feel that you've lost not only lost your family But you've lost everybody else's family everybody's gone You have no idea what they've done if they're dead if they're alive where they are all you know is that you've got this sinking feeling That it's all over everything Why was it all worth it? What did I do this? Why did I try all of this you know the enemy wants to get us all there That's where he wants us to be and then he wants us to curse God Then he wants us to and how do we sometimes we don't do that vocally but we do that in our mind that we are mad Because we're here when all we have to do is take that moment and say God forgive me I wasn't looking to you, but I am now I Missed my opportunity earlier, but I'm not missing this one God.
I'm gonna rise up with you You are my strength. You're the wind beneath my wings. You're my shelter. You're my high tower You're my rock lord.
That's where you go when you struggle you go to the rock the one you've built your faith and your foundation on And that's where David went in a mighty way He shut the rest of the world out and he said okay God if it's just me and you then that's enough We can make this thing happen and he did what a glorious time for David What looks like a tragic end to a guy that never made it to his kingship Turns out to be such a turning point in his life and in so many others lives, you know We have friends that sometimes when things get tough they desert us, you know We have others and even family sometimes will turn their back on you when things get tough But I'm telling you God will never leave you never forsake you we have that promise You know, I'm so blessed that I have Veronica. I have my family I mean they have stuck with me through things my goodness. I didn't deserve to be stuck with on I didn't I mean They had every reason to cast me aside and move on with their lives and probably a lot happier But they stuck with me because they knew God's plan they knew it wasn't this moment wasn't the end of it This was the beginning of it. We were gonna turn the corner and things were gonna get better And I'm speaking to someone today.
You feel like you were David is you're sitting there in the ashes of zig-lag I don't know if it's your family. I don't it's a financial situation. I don't know if it's your health I don't know if it's your job. I don't I don't know what it is But you feel like you've just gone the gauntlet you've burnt down you're giving up You just can't make it any farther I want you to stop right now and just just close your eyes and put an imaginary e-fod around you and just say God I am turning my life to you my expectation is in you God not in this situation This is not where you would have me to be Lord.
I trust you. I trust you. I love you God forgive me of my unbelief Father, I'm on the right path to where you want me to go now dear God I'm gonna be uplifted. I'm gonna stand up and be counted for God in the presence of you I don't care who else believes who else has any idea of what I'm doing father as long as it's you I'm gonna follow you Lord.
I'm following you now. Jesus. I thank you I thank you that that was you today and you're making that turning point in your life We all get there. We've all been there.
Don't feel like you're alone. You're not so people most people never talk about it because it's embarrassing to them That they've let themselves get to that point, but it's okay when you're there. Just don't stay there Don't make that your home. Don't make that your property You give that back and you stand up and you go for the great things that God's got for your life He's got a future for you.
He loves you He's got a destiny for your life and this isn't the destiny for your life If the enemy is making you feel in this much distress and this much pain this much loneliness and this much Just a terrible terrible position right now. Whatever that is God is willing to take your hand if you'll just reach out Just reach out right now. I mean don't do it imagine reach your hand out and just say God I'm trusting you take my hand and leave me Lord Get me out of this place get me out of this zig-lag God. I don't want to be here This is not my home.
My home is what you have promised me I just praise God that you've made that turn that you've recognized that and now you have taken the first steps of getting yourself back on Track back to a life that's acceptable to you comfortable to you and pleasing to God do the things that are pleasing to him first Everything else we give him to you shake him down press together and running over that's his promises to yes And you hold on to those promises and that's what David did he held on to that promise Yes, there's times that we all feel that the enemy has come in and he's raided and he's stolen and he's captured things that are precious to us But David we can look at his example exactly what he did he strengthened himself in the Lord How do you strengthen yourself in the Lord? You go and you get in God's presence and that's exactly what he did He went to the priest Amalek son and he said will you please give me the e-faud? The e-faud was a priestly garment that the priest would use to go in with praise and worship and he said I want to take that and I'm going to inquire the Lord David took that garment and he put it around him It's symbolic of wrapping ourselves with that praise and worship going into the presence of God and that's what he did He's like God here. I am I have nowhere else to go here I am God and he inquired of the Lord.
It said David inquired of the Lord. He went in and he prayed That's what we have to do God. What do we do? I don't know what to do?
What do we do and then he listened he got still before the Lord and the Lord said he said shall I pursue this troop Shall I overtake him? You know he was even feeling a little insecure in his abilities. This is a mighty warrior He had just gone and raided he had just gone and captured he was a mighty fighter and now He was at the place where the enemy had stolen his self-confidence and he's like God should I even try and God is like Yes, you are going to try not only are you going to try you are going to pursue? You are going to overtake them and you are going to reclaim all that's what the Lord said He said yes Pursue so you will overtake them and without fail now when God tells you without fail He means that regardless of what the enemy does or doesn't do it doesn't matter you are going to recover all Oh, man, what a great promise and I want to speak into your life today regardless of what the enemy has done now It's time to rise up.
It's time to pursue. It's time to overtake and recover. What do you need to pursue? Do you need to pursue relationships your family?
Do you need to pursue a ministry that you've just let fall by the wayside? You know what that is pursue if it's a health issue pursue get on your knees and say God I need to hear from you and God will speak to you pursue and you will overtake and you will reclaim and that's exactly He got the word from the Lord when you get the word from the Lord You know it you have that peace and then you get your confidence back You know that God has already gone before you and that's what David got He got back his confidence and he came back to his men off of that mountain where he had prayed with that ephod The men were standing there saying well, do we stone him or what do we do and David said to the 600 men? I've heard from the Lord. I've heard from God and they trusted him and David said that we are going to pursue and We are going to recover.
He rallied the troops. That's what we're doing today. We're rallying the troops We're saying it's time to stand up for what is right. It's time to take back what is rightfully yours It's time to go into the enemies camp and take back what is rightfully yours because God has already gone before you This is a pivotal time for us.
We must reclaim all we understand that it's just easy to give up But we can't we've got to go and retake back what God has given us and that's exactly what he did He went with his men. He went into the enemies camp And you can go on and read it the rest of chapter 30 and you'll see the great story of when he went in He raided the Amalekites. He took back what was rightfully his his wives and his children and all of the others He took back his stuff, but what is so great? He got the enemy stuff too when you go in pursuit Then you get back what the enemy has stolen plus more it's called restore and more restore and more and that's what God has Promised to give us that's what he promised him you will reclaim all and when you reclaim God says like buddy says It's pressed down shaken together and running over God just doesn't give you what you had before He gives you something better and then what's so amazing is that in verse in chapter 31 that we see what all of this was Transpiring behind the scenes There was another battle going on and the enemy knew this that Saul and his sons were fighting the Philistines And at this very moment on a mountain range about three miles away on Mount Gilboa that Saul was mortally wounded and died David was rightfully king now and didn't even realize it the enemy knew that so he wanted to steal that from David if David would Have just said well, I give up then he would have been killed and Israel would have had no king But because there was something that rose up on the inside of him He encouraged himself and he went and pursued then the prophecy and the anointing that was spoken over him 13 years prior that he would be anointed King of Israel came to pass buddy.
That's what God does even when we don't see it He's working behind the scenes on our behalf even when we're going through our zig-lag God is working over here in another area on our behalf for our total victory in his glory We've seen it time and time and time again And that's why we do what we do to encourage you because we know God's word will never fail his promises will never fail Now rise up from your ashes I'm speaking to somebody prophetically rise up from your ashes from this place that the enemy has wanted to destroy you or Your family and pursue you pray and know that God wants to restore and more in your life I feel the presence of God when I say that You know that pivotal point is when David had the ephod And you know that's almost like a cocoon when you think of it when you think of God's creatures going into cocoon That's right. That's right because when they come out they're different Yes, they come out different when they went in and we're telling you right now in your life Maybe it's the time you need to be cocooning with God rather than talking about it rather than listening to the naysayers about it Maybe it's time you need to really make that cocoon with you and God get enveloped with God and just allow him to encourage you Believe me his word will encourage you. What did David say? He said I heard from God right God encouraged him God will encourage you God encouraged us in every trial in our life No, it didn't end soon enough didn't end soon enough for David a 13 years It didn't end soon enough, but the end is inside it is in your situation to whatever that is I promise you if you will hold on to God's promises in your life If you will hang on to the truth of his word not let the enemy drive that out of your life Do not sit there in those ashes feeling sorry for yourself waiting on someone to have a pity party for you or with you You know, there may be those there trying to stone you too I don't know but you do not have to stay there all you have to do praise God.
Yes, look up to the heavens raise your hands Say God you are mighty and majestic. Thank you for taking me from this place I no longer want to be this is not my zig-lag This is not your appointment in my life And I read you can in the name of Jesus and Father now I trust my faith in you only you not the world shut it out Shut it out at this moment. I'm imploring you to shut it out. God's got something great for you This is not where you are going to stay your promise is his promises Well, we love you.
Yes, and God loves you. Yes until we see you again next week. Remember that God is always faithful