Go After It!
Focus Scripture
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.” — 1 Samuel 17:34-37 NIV
Introduction
As a shepherd, David encountered dangerous predators that attempted to steal his father’s sheep. He shared that whenever a lion or a bear had carried off one of the sheep, he went after it! Yes, that’s right! While others would look away or become defeated, David pursued the predator that stole his Father’s sheep, struck it and retrieved what was taken. It’s important to know that sheep represent wealth, along with other livestock such as cattle, goats, and donkeys. Therefore, he wasn’t just recovering a sheep, he was recovering his father’s wealth.
Like shepherds, we too have a predator that desires to devour our Father’s wealth. In the kingdom of Heaven, our father values love, joy, peace, forgiveness, character, ethics, morals, relationships, and stewardship. Yet, the thief desires to steal your values, kill your character and destroy your destiny (John 10:10). The one who walks as a roaring lion desires to devour our families, our hope, and our dreams (1 Peter 5:8). My question for you is what are you going to do? This is not the time to look away or concede to defeat. It’s time to GO AFTER IT!
Like shepherds, we too have a predator that desires to devour our Father’s wealth. In the kingdom of Heaven, our father values love, joy, peace, forgiveness, character, ethics, morals, relationships, and stewardship. Yet, the thief desires to steal your values, kill your character and destroy your destiny (John 10:10). The one who walks as a roaring lion desires to devour our families, our hope, and our dreams (1 Peter 5:8). My question for you is what are you going to do? This is not the time to look away or concede to defeat. It’s time to GO AFTER IT!
This Week's Devotionals:
Day 1: What's Missing?
Now that we know what we’re up against, it’s time to perform an inventory. Ask yourself this question: “What’s Missing?” Perhaps you’re wondering what I mean by this. The most valuable tool of a thief or predator is distraction. As long as the one that keeps watch is distracted, he can sneak in and take what he pleases. Chances are you’ve been distracted at some point in the last year or so. Whether it be by political division, arguments about masks and vaccinations, television, matters in your home or something of the like, you’ve been distracted. What you didn’t know is while you weren’t looking, something was taken from you and it’s time to discover what it is.
It’s possible that you already know what it is. Maybe you see that you don’t love the way you used to. Perhaps your joy has become diminished. It could be that your passion for God has been dying and your prayer life has been fading. You don’t go to church like you used to or worship like you used to and you realize that you’ve been robbed of your joy, peace and faithfulness. The only way we can go after what we lost is if we identify that something is missing.
Spend time today in prayer, asking the Father to reveal what’s missing from your life. What are the kingdom values that have been stolen from your home. This is the week where relationships are restored, hearts are healed and lives are changed. All because we’ve decided to no longer look away or sit in defeat. No, we’re going after it!
It’s possible that you already know what it is. Maybe you see that you don’t love the way you used to. Perhaps your joy has become diminished. It could be that your passion for God has been dying and your prayer life has been fading. You don’t go to church like you used to or worship like you used to and you realize that you’ve been robbed of your joy, peace and faithfulness. The only way we can go after what we lost is if we identify that something is missing.
Spend time today in prayer, asking the Father to reveal what’s missing from your life. What are the kingdom values that have been stolen from your home. This is the week where relationships are restored, hearts are healed and lives are changed. All because we’ve decided to no longer look away or sit in defeat. No, we’re going after it!
Day 2: Lost, Not a Loss
Why would David chase after a sheep that was in the mouth of a lion or a bear? Most people would consider this a total loss and would lose all hope for what was lost. However, David was a shepherd and good shepherds don’t give up on sheep, they will risk their lives for them. I believe that while David knew that the sheep was lost, he didn’t see this as a total loss, so he went after it.
Yesterday, I asked you to spend time identifying what’s missing in your life. So often we look at what we’ve lost and think that it’s beyond the reach of recovery or broken beyond repair. That’s how I felt. In July of 2020, through prayer, God revealed to me that I had not forgiven a certain loved one. But I thought I did. I thought that I was over it, but he showed me that I wasn’t and because I hadn’t forgiven them, my life was being robbed of its fruit — love, joy, peace and the other fruit of the Spirit. I had become apathetic and withdrawn as my way of defending my heart from the hurt of my past. That day I repented and began to pray for that loved one. Not the generic prayer that we Christians do when we don’t like someone. No, I prayed sincerely for their health and success, that God would manifest His love in their life and their family.
How could I do this? Because I remembered that the entire world was filled with lost sheep, yet our Father didn’t consider as a total loss. Instead, He sent His Son to rescue each of us from the mouth of the lion. While we were still lost in our sin, Christ died for each of us, reconciling us back to the Father. That’s love. If there’s nothing that can stop God from loving me, then there shouldn’t be anything that can stop me from loving anyone.
The relationship with that loved one was later reconciled. It’s not perfect, but it’s growing. This could only be the case today because I recognized that while it was lost, it was not a total loss. That which you’ve lost, you can still get back.
Yesterday, I asked you to spend time identifying what’s missing in your life. So often we look at what we’ve lost and think that it’s beyond the reach of recovery or broken beyond repair. That’s how I felt. In July of 2020, through prayer, God revealed to me that I had not forgiven a certain loved one. But I thought I did. I thought that I was over it, but he showed me that I wasn’t and because I hadn’t forgiven them, my life was being robbed of its fruit — love, joy, peace and the other fruit of the Spirit. I had become apathetic and withdrawn as my way of defending my heart from the hurt of my past. That day I repented and began to pray for that loved one. Not the generic prayer that we Christians do when we don’t like someone. No, I prayed sincerely for their health and success, that God would manifest His love in their life and their family.
How could I do this? Because I remembered that the entire world was filled with lost sheep, yet our Father didn’t consider as a total loss. Instead, He sent His Son to rescue each of us from the mouth of the lion. While we were still lost in our sin, Christ died for each of us, reconciling us back to the Father. That’s love. If there’s nothing that can stop God from loving me, then there shouldn’t be anything that can stop me from loving anyone.
The relationship with that loved one was later reconciled. It’s not perfect, but it’s growing. This could only be the case today because I recognized that while it was lost, it was not a total loss. That which you’ve lost, you can still get back.
Day 3: Humble Yourself
David was strong. David was powerful. David was bold. But more importantly, David was humble. We know this because while he was anointed as the next king of Israel, David continued to serve his father as the shepherd of his sheep. Scripture doesn’t show him as being arrogant or defiant, instead it shows his faithful obedience. It was his heart of submission that gave David supernatural strength. It was obedience that gave him the opportunity to overtake the enemy (Goliath).
In his letter to believers, Apostle Peter describes our enemy, satan, as a lion and he shares the perfect strategy to resist the enemy. As you read this passage you will see that humility is the key component to this strategy:
“In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” — 1 Peter 5:5-8 NIV
Perhaps you’re ready to “Go After It” but I want to encourage you to pause for a moment and check your heart for humility. We cannot face the enemy without a heart fully submitted to the Father. Today is Worship Wednesday. Worship is the perfect tool that repositions our hearts in a posture of humility. I encourage you to take time today and everyday worshipping the Father. I know that you desire to get back everything that was stolen from you, but this can only happen with a heart of humility.
In his letter to believers, Apostle Peter describes our enemy, satan, as a lion and he shares the perfect strategy to resist the enemy. As you read this passage you will see that humility is the key component to this strategy:
“In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” — 1 Peter 5:5-8 NIV
Perhaps you’re ready to “Go After It” but I want to encourage you to pause for a moment and check your heart for humility. We cannot face the enemy without a heart fully submitted to the Father. Today is Worship Wednesday. Worship is the perfect tool that repositions our hearts in a posture of humility. I encourage you to take time today and everyday worshipping the Father. I know that you desire to get back everything that was stolen from you, but this can only happen with a heart of humility.
Day 4: Identify the Enemy
In the text we’ve studied throughout this week, we see that David was clearly up against a physical enemy. He’d faced a lion, a bear and now a giant named Goliath. For us, in this present day, I want us to understand that our enemy is not quite the same. Apostle Paul made it clear that our fight isn’t physical but spiritual (Ephesians 6:12). That means, your spouse isn’t your enemy, nor is your supervisor that gets on your nerve and neither is it your children. Our fight doesn’t take place in the physical realm, but the spiritual, therefore we must change the way that we fight. Apostle Paul describes speaks to this fighting style in his letter to the Church in Corinth:
“for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.” — 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 NASB
Our battle is a spiritual one, but much of it takes place on the battlefield of the mind. The mind is the place where our thoughts exist. Because our enemy desires to defeat us, his goal is to gain influence over our minds. Much of what we’re fighting today is the result of a weed-like thought that was planted in our minds and has grown and caused disruption in our lives.
As you are identifying your enemy, begin with your mind by examining your thoughts and weigh them against the word of God.
“for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.” — 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 NASB
Our battle is a spiritual one, but much of it takes place on the battlefield of the mind. The mind is the place where our thoughts exist. Because our enemy desires to defeat us, his goal is to gain influence over our minds. Much of what we’re fighting today is the result of a weed-like thought that was planted in our minds and has grown and caused disruption in our lives.
As you are identifying your enemy, begin with your mind by examining your thoughts and weigh them against the word of God.
Day 5: Kill It
Just as David killed the lion, the bear and Goliath, we must kill the very thing that’s attacking us. Remember, your enemy is not physical so you can’t fight this physically. Because your enemy is spiritual, your strategy must be through the Spirit. This means it’s time to pray. I’m not talking about a few minutes of prayer then we continue on with our day, no it’s time to truly press into prayer. I’m thankful we begin each day with prayer together as a church. However, this should not be it. Our morning prayer and devotion should serve as a launch pad for your day, not the only moment we offer to God.
As you look at this enemy, you’ll recognize that It’s too big for you, you’re going to need help. David recognized that his victory over the lion, the bear and Goliath were not because of his ability, but because of God’s. It was God that delivered him. To make this plain and simple, YOU NEED GOD. We cannot win without him! You will win, if you go after it in prayer.
As you look at this enemy, you’ll recognize that It’s too big for you, you’re going to need help. David recognized that his victory over the lion, the bear and Goliath were not because of his ability, but because of God’s. It was God that delivered him. To make this plain and simple, YOU NEED GOD. We cannot win without him! You will win, if you go after it in prayer.
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