Dream Again - 5

Subject: Excuses that are Dream Killers Cont.

by Rick Welborne

Proverbs 13:12 (NLT)
¹²  Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. 

Psalm 105:17-21 (NLT)
¹⁷  Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them— Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
¹⁸  They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar.
¹⁹  Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the LORD tested Joseph’s character.
²⁰  Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free; the ruler of the nation opened his prison door.
²¹  Joseph was put in charge of all the king’s household; he became ruler over all the king’s possessions. 

--Three weeks ago we discussed our dreams and we talked about these three things:

1. It is not so much about us as it is about “them”.

2. It is about the timing of God.

3. It is about the test.

--Two weeks ago we talked about the excuse of family as a dream killer. We saw how that when we pursue our dreams no matter what family says, it can lead to their salvation.

--Today let’s look at being falsely accused and being forgotten.

--God has given Joseph some pretty incredible dreams, and by all indications, the devil is determined to stop the dreams from coming to pass…nothing is more dangerous to the devil than those who go after their dreams.

--Last week we saw how Satan tried his best to use family to dissuade Joseph from his dreams…His brothers were jealous and hated him…his father was upset and rebuked him. 

--There is no evidence that anyone in the family tried to encourage him to go after God and to go after his dreams…not even his father who loved him more than the others. 

--When the enemy saw that being rejected by family, being sold into slavery, being carried away brutally didn’t work, he thought he needed to change his strategy.

--Remember this, the devil is always attacking us to distract us. God is allowing things so that He can test our character…doesn’t it make sense that if someone is going to save the world they needed great character.

--Not just anyone can handle that kind of power and authority. It has to be a man who has God’s heart and a compassion for people. God was not testing Joseph so He would fail…same for you and your tests.

--God is blessing Joseph in Potiphar’s house so much that everything he was putting his hands to was prospering and being ran with excellence. Potiphar had no worries with Joseph (the slave) there.

1. The enemy will try false accusations to kill your God given dreams. 

Genesis 39:10-18 (NLT)
¹⁰  She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible.
¹¹  One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work.
¹²  She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.
¹³  When she saw that she was holding his cloak and he had fled,
¹⁴  she called out to her servants. Soon all the men came running. “Look!” she said. “My husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to make fools of us! He came into my room to rape me, but I screamed.
¹⁵  When he heard me scream, he ran outside and got away, but he left his cloak behind with me.”
¹⁶  She kept the cloak with her until her husband came home.
¹⁷  Then she told him her story. “That Hebrew slave you’ve brought into our house tried to come in and fool around with me,” she said.
¹⁸  “But when I screamed, he ran outside, leaving his cloak with me!” 

--Potiphar’s wife noticed Joseph was handsome and well built (many of you guys know the curse he had) and she was determined to mess around with him…He was just as determined that was not going to happen.

--Where Joseph could have helped himself a whole lot was to not go in the house where this woman was, especially without someone else being there with them. You have no witnesses…a word to the wise.

--Years ago when I was young and handsome or least I was young, a lady called for an appointment…we said ok. She came and I said we leave our doors open when we counsel…she said, this is private…I said talk low.

--All of my staff had been instructed of the rules…she said I am going to shut the door…I said if you do I will yell and people will come running…she did not believe me and shut the door…I yelled and they ran.

--She said good grief, I will leave the door open and I said the counseling is over. I told her we would set up a lady in the church to meet with her. She helped us to change our counseling policy here. 

--I love my wife enough I don’t want that temptation and I don’t want anyone being able to say I did something inappropriate…someone please say Amen!

--Let me stop here and truly commend Joseph because of what he did when Potiphar’s wife attacked him. He ran from her with intentionality.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (NLT)
¹⁸  Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.
¹⁹  Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,
²⁰  for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

--So what do we do when people falsely accuse us of something or what do we do when we have those who so disrupt our lives that we are uprooted from where we were?

--I hear people say that because there were no witnesses, Joseph was in deep trouble. Potiphar’s wife was like Pharaoh’s wife…her words were the law. There was One credible witness though…The Lord Himself! 

--Joseph decided to move onto the next adventure with God knowing that this was only a test of his character and about the timing of God. We have to keep reminding ourselves about the “them” we will help.

--So Joseph was thrown into prison. As far as I can remember, I cannot remember any other preacher speculating about this situation of Joseph being thrown in prison. I will. 

--If Potiphar really thought this slave, in whom he had placed his total trust in, had truly attempted to rape his wife, wouldn’t he have had him killed. 

--Let me ask it this way, if the law permitted a rapist to be put to death and it was in his authority to do so, don’t you think Potiphar would have taken Joseph’s life? Unless he knew who Joseph was and also knew his wife.

--Maybe Potiphar knew his wife did not love him (obviously she was not faithful) and that she had a problem with lust (probably not the first occasion) and therefore he spared Joseph’s life. God may have opened his eyes.

Genesis 39:20-23 (NKJV)
²⁰  Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.
²¹  But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
²²  And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing.
²³  The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper. 

--There is never a good excuse to give up on your God given dreams when you are falsely accused…why? Because the Lord is with you and because the final chapter has not been written yet. 

2. The enemy will try to make you believe you are forgotten so that you will give up on your dreams. 

--How is it even possible to fulfill your God given dreams (and the dreams are about “them”) when they don’t even know you exist…they don’t even know if you are alive.

--Being forgotten, forsaken, abandoned, overlooked, alone are some of the most difficult things we Christians or anyone else can face. One of the reasons suicide rates are so high…drugs…alcohol…other addictions.

--Joseph is abandoned by his brothers…he is away from his family, especially his father who loved him so much. He is in a strange land and all he has left is his God…and some incredible dreams. 

--Please don’t misunderstand me, I realize that you don’t have to be in a foreign country away from your family to feel lonely or forgotten…sometimes you can be in the same house with family and feel forsaken.

--I guarantee that if I asked this morning how many of you live day after day in your own house feeling that no one in the house even cares if you are there…there would be many. 

--Some believe they would like it if you were not there at all. You must never forget that you still have your God and you still have your God given dreams. 

--Joseph, in prison, does a wonderful thing, he interprets the butlers dream and the butler is restored to his place serving the king. Joseph gives him this request:

Genesis 40:13-15 (NIV)
¹³  Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer.
¹⁴  But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison.
¹⁵  For I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon."

--A very simple request, feel his pain. Remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. I did nothing wrong…remember me, please! He was not remembered…we must remember:

1. It is not so much about us as it is about “them”.

2. It is about the timing of God.

3. It is about the test.

--This almost seems cruel that Joseph, after all these years, would be forgotten again…let’s look at God’s economy…the “them” were not there yet…it may have been too early (not God’s time).

--Again God was testing his character…two more years. We have too ways of looking at this: How cruel was God to make him wait longer or how great is God to give him such an awesome task…saving the world. 

--When we experience these feelings of being alone, being forgotten, being abandoned, being forsaken, being overlooked…what are we to do? We do like Joseph and we have stand-alone faith. 

Bill Gothard: 

Stand-alone faith can only happen when we realize that we are not alone!

Stand-alone faith may cause you to have the appearance of being a failure!

--Mordecai was headed to the gallows. Daniel was thrown in the lion’s den. The three Hebrews were thrown in the fiery furnace. Joseph was forgotten in prison. 

Stand-alone faith survives by standing on the principles of God’s Word and upon godly character! 

Stand-alone faith is more fearful of God than the consequences!

Stand-alone faith needs no approval of man (family) but only a mandate from God!

Stand-alone faith is an inward attitude of the heart that manifest itself in words and action!

Stand-alone faith is motivated by a love relationship with Jesus not a response to people’s expectations of us!

--You see this thing of serving God may leave you, at times, in places where it seems you have been forgotten, but in those times make your election and calling sure…what? Make sure Jesus is Savior and Lord!

--Renew your mind with the truths of God’s Word, remind yourself over and over of your God given dreams, and start seeing life and your circumstances from God’s point of view. 

--During this time earnestly be obedient to the prompting of Holy Spirit and walking in the Spirit every day.

--This one we may not care too much about…learn to identify with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection and be dogged determined to do what is right, forgotten or not.

--When you feel forgotten, love the Lord to the point where you are more concerned about protecting His reputation rather than pleasing yourself. Potiphar’s wife…How can I sin against God? Listen to Job:

Job 19:14-17 & 25-27 (NLT)
¹⁴  My family is gone, and my close friends have forgotten me.
¹⁵  My servants and maids consider me a stranger. I am like a foreigner to them.
¹⁶  When I call my servant, he doesn’t come; I have to plead with him!
¹⁷  My breath is repulsive to my wife. I am rejected by my own family.
²⁵  “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.
²⁶  And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God!
²⁷  I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought! 

--Just like with Joseph, Job had to wait on the timing of God. He was not forgotten…His Redeemer lives!

Job 42:10-12 (NLT)
¹⁰  When Job prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes. In fact, the LORD gave him twice as much as before!
¹¹  Then all his brothers, sisters, and former friends came and feasted with him in his home. And they consoled him and comforted him because of all the trials the LORD had brought against him. And each of them brought him a gift of money and a gold ring.
¹²  So the LORD blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. 

Open the Double Doors – 8

Subject: Untie Your Donkey

by Rick Welborne

Isaiah 45:1-3 (NKJV)
¹  "Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held-- To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:
²  'I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron.
³  I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. 

Luke 13:10-17 (NIV)
¹⁰  On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,
¹¹  and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.
¹²  When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity."
¹³  Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
¹⁴  Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath."
¹⁵  The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?
¹⁶  Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?"
¹⁷  When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing. 

--For the last several weeks we have been talking about opening the double doors, talking about why God would tell us to shut our doors, and why we need to close the door to the enemy.

--A few weeks ago Holy Spirit really moved and three people raised their hands wanted to close the door to the enemy and wanted Jesus to be the Lord of their lives.

--Tonight is going to be a little bit different because I am going to tell you that if you will go through the double doors, it will be because you untie your donkey. It has to do with initiative. 

1. Untie your donkey or get off your donkey and take initiative.

--To make sure you understand what I am saying tonight…I must give you the KJV of Luke 13:15 lest you be confused about what I am saying. Just read it!

Luke 13:15 (KJV)
¹⁵  The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?

--We must take initiative if we going to untie our donkey and get it going God’s direction. 

Initiative – the power or opportunity to act or to take charge in a given situation.

--We can believe and have faith all day long but there comes a time when there has to be actions with our belief. We must untie our donkey! We must act or take charge based on our faith in Jesus! Go thru the double doors!

James 2:14-18 (NIV)
¹⁴  What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
¹⁵  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
¹⁶  If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
¹⁷  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
¹⁸  But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 

--Jesus had very little tolerance of the religious Pharisees and hypocrites of His day. He had taken the initiative to heal (a daughter of Abraham – a Jew) who had been crippled for 18 years…and yes, it was the Sabbath. 

--Jesus said You untie your donkey to lead it to water but you will not get off your donkey to help a cripple woman who needs healing…Jesus had no problem with initiative…He healed the woman.

--Bill Wilson, who for many years had the largest children’s ministry in the US had no problem with initiative or untying his donkey. He explained it like this:

Wilson – Many are waiting on a call from God to do something or to do anything. The need you see at work, in your neighborhood, at school, wherever, is the call. Just do it!

--He was saying that if you really want to go through those double doors, if someone else is struggling to fulfill their destiny…you untie your donkey and help them. Get off your donkey and be a blessing!

James 4:17 (NKJV)
¹⁷  Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

--Jesus wants us…no, He requires us to untie our donkey and to take the initiative and do something…He told us to give and we withhold, He has told us to go and we sit, He has told us to tell them and we keep silent.

--When the Lord told Cyrus I will hold your hand and I will go before you…that meant Cyrus had to follow.

The Lord said together we will subdue nations…He had to put action with his faith. 

--Maybe the double doors you want to go thru is in the area of finances…Bring your tithes…untie your donkey and put up the credit cards, stop buying what you do not need, stop spending more than you make. 

--Faith without action is dead…it is not hard to see people who have initiative…they are the ones who are working in concert with Jesus…Jesus said follow and they are following!

2. Untie your donkey or get off your donkey so you will not die.

--Oh, Pastor, I will not die. That sounds just like the serpent in the garden when Eve was tempted to eat the fruit…you will surely not die. Maybe they didn’t die physically but there was definitely a spiritual death.

--Why do we keep sitting on our donkeys taking no initiative to draw near to God and to trust Him? We sound like the lepers in 2 Kings who finally said we have to do something. A siege and a famine besieged them.

2 Kings 7:1-8 (NLT)
¹  Elisha replied, “Listen to this message from the LORD! This is what the LORD says: By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, five quarts of choice flour will cost only one piece of silver, and ten quarts of barley grain will cost only one piece of silver.”
²  The officer assisting the king said to the man of God, “That couldn’t happen even if the LORD opened the windows of heaven!” But Elisha replied, “You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won’t be able to eat any of it!”
³  Now there were four men with leprosy sitting at the entrance of the city gates. “Why should we sit here waiting to die?” they asked each other.
⁴  “We will starve if we stay here, but with the famine in the city, we will starve if we go back there. So we might as well go out and surrender to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway.”
⁵  So at twilight they set out for the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the edge of the camp, no one was there!
⁶  For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the clatter of speeding chariots and the galloping of horses and the sounds of a great army approaching. “The king of Israel has hired the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us!” they cried to one another.
⁷  So they panicked and ran into the night, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys, and everything else, as they fled for their lives.
⁸  When the lepers arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating and drinking wine; and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and hid it. 

--You see, we all have a choice. We can get up off of our donkeys and do something or we can just sit on our donkeys until we die. What if I do the wrong thing…the lepers thought the same thing.

--They came to the conclusion that at least trying was better than sitting there until they died. Maybe the enemy has besieged you and your family…you don’t have to take it anymore…get off your donkey.

--Somebody needs to get up and march toward the enemy’s camp…who knows, your initiative may be exactly what is needed to save your family, your friends, and even yourself.

--Instead of sitting on your donkey until you die…with a little initiative from Holy Spirit and with trusting the Lord with all your hearts, you may just become the hero of the story. 

--Pastor, there is nothing I can do to fix my situation…wonderful, the lepers were powerless unless God showed up and did something miraculous…guess what? He did!

--They had the same choice you have, play the victim card and sit on your donkey till you die or get up and do something…I have said something for years…Let’s do something even if it is wrong! Idleness is death!

--I can’t wait to get to heaven and to meet the first guy who said, “Why should we sit here waiting to die?” Who knows, one ridiculous decision can be the salvation of an entire city.

--They were lepers (unclean and isolated) outside the gate (the double doors) but God wanted them to be heroes outside the gate bringing good news. 

--Pastor, you do not know the enemy I have…No, you don’t know the God I serve…He made the enemy hear horses, chariots, and a large army coming…He put such fear in them that they fled. 

--We must make a decision to draw as close to Jesus as we can, to get filled with Holy Spirit, and to get off our donkey and do something…stop tying your donkey up because it neutralizes you! 

James 4:7-8 (NKJV)
⁷  Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
⁸  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

3. Untie your donkey or get off your donkey and watch what God does.

--We keep waiting on God to move…we keep whining about what is not happening in our lives and God is waiting on us to get off our donkeys and go thru those double doors.

--Can you imagine these lepers, starving and just waiting to die, but they got up…they got off their donkey and look what God did…food, drink, riches right before them for the taking.

--This should be a God moment for someone who is starving spiritually and who is tired of the enemy holding you and your family captive…why do I keep sitting here till I lose everything? Get up!

--During the creation Holy Spirit was hovering over the earth and when the time was right, God spoke, and everything fell into its proper order.

Genesis 1:1-4 (NKJV)
¹  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
²  The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
³  Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
⁴  And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 

--I believe Holy Spirit is hovering tonight just waiting on someone to get off their donkey and take that step toward the enemy’s camp. He can separate you from the darkness trying to take over!

Isaiah 60:1-5 (NKJV)
¹  Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.
²  For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.
³  The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.
⁴  "Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
⁵  Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. 

Ziklag - How to Recover What the Enemy Has Stolen

Subject – Taking Back What is Rightfully Yours

by Rick Welborne

1 Samuel 30:1-19 (NIV)
¹  David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it,
²  and had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.
³  When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.
⁴  So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.
⁵  David's two wives had been captured--Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.
⁶  David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

--David has lived like a fugitive for years running from Saul…hiding in caves. Living however he could.

--David knows God has anointed him to be the next King of Israel but the promise seems more like a distant dream than a present reality.

--He has had his run-ins with the Philistines and the band of men with him are not necessarily in the Who’s Who of society. When you think things cannot get worse they return home to find everyone gone…burned!

--Their city (Ziklag) has been burned and their wives and children taken away. Now his men are so hurt they are talking of stoning David…grief upon grief. So how did David recover everything?

1. David found strength in the Lord.

1 Samuel 30:6 (NIV)

⁶  David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. 

--But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength! David has cried so hard and so long that he has no strength left. After waiting on the Lord, he found new strength.

--Waiting does not always have to be a long period of time but it must be sincere…David did not have much time since his men were speaking of stoning him.

--Important note in recovering all…someone has to lead…get God’s strength and lead…be God’s man!

2. David determined to inquire of the Lord.

1 Samuel 30:7-8 (NIV)

⁷  Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." Abiathar brought it to him,
⁸  and David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" "Pursue them," he answered. "You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue." 

--David determined that knowing God’s will was of utmost importance…he had to pray…why? The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective!

--Yes, we must pray without ceasing but it is ok in the middle of the storm to pray with intensity. David knew it would require of him to be a living sacrifice unto the Lord!

3. David received a Rhema Word from the Lord.

1 Samuel 30:8 (NIV)

⁸  and David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" "Pursue them," he answered. "You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue." 

--Once God has spoken to your heart…then, hang on to God and pursue them with everything inside of you!

Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV)
¹¹  So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 

--If it is a God Word, it will come to pass. No matter the setbacks or difficulty, it will happen! Jeremy’s feet!

4. David realized not everyone would help him fight his battle. 

1 Samuel 30:9-10 (NIV)

⁹  David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Ravine, where some stayed behind,
¹⁰  for two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the ravine. But David and four hundred men continued the pursuit. 

--Two hundred could not go because they were exhausted…all of us need to get over the illusion that 100% will be there to help us. Just keep your eyes on the Lord! The “Why?” is between them and the Lord. Stay focused!

--Two things will surprise you when you walk thru your valley…you will be surprised by those you thought would be with you and were not. Then, you will be surprised by those you thought would not be with you but were!

--The truth is, leaders lead and those who will, will follow! Our job is to simply fix our eyes on Jesus and lead!

Jesus said to put your hand to the plow and not look back!

5. David received God’s favor in the process.

1 Samuel 30:11-16 (NIV)

¹¹  They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat--
¹²  part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.
¹³  David asked him, "To whom do you belong, and where do you come from?" He said, "I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago.
¹⁴  We raided the Negev of the Kerethites and the territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag." 

¹⁵  David asked him, "Can you lead me down to this raiding party?" He answered, "Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to them."
¹⁶  He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. 

--I do not believe it was a coincidence they ran across this young Egyptian slave. God may of given him a tummy ache so he would be left behind. This favor because they had prayed and sought God’s will.

--As you walk in God’s will, He will arrange divine connections or appointments to help you recover what you have lost. I am sure that David was praying without ceasing and God was answering…this slave.

--We should also pray for those divine encounters for our prodigals, for our families, and for our businesses. Once God has spoken, it will happen, and He will direct your steps!

6. David and his men had to be willing to fight to recover what they had lost.

1 Samuel 30:17 (NIV)

¹⁷  David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled.

--James says that faith without works is dead being alone. God wants us to have faith but He also expects us to work with Him in the recovery effort. 

--As David looked over the camp of the Amalekites he could have said…OK, God, go get them but he didn’t. He had a passion to go and rescue his family…He was willing to fight with all his might and fight he did. 

--There are times when the Lord says…The battle is Mine but there are other times when He says, let’s go boys, we have work to do. We fight but it is God Who gives the victory!

7. David recovered everything…nothing was missing.

1 Samuel 30:18-19(NIV)

¹⁸  David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives.
¹⁹  Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. 

--How many of you want to recover everything and have nothing missing?

--How many of you want your families saved and none of them be lost?

--How many of you want your businesses or finances to turn around and nothing be lost?

--How many of you are willing to be thankful and generous like David after the recovery!

1 Samuel 30:21-24 (NIV)
²¹  Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Ravine. They came out to meet David and the people with him. As David and his men approached, he greeted them.
²²  But all the evil men and troublemakers among David's followers said, "Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go."
²³  David replied, "No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and handed over to us the forces that came against us.
²⁴  Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike."