May it please Almighty God to
bless us together this evening as we meditate in his holy word. Let's turn to the first book
of Samuel, and chapter 30, and we'll read verse 19. The first book of Samuel, chapter
30, and reading verse 19. And there was nothing lacking
to them neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither
spoil nor anything that they had taken to them. David recovered
all. We've sung together in those
two hymns this evening of the loving-kindness of Almighty God. And the loving-kindness of Almighty
God was so wonderfully displayed in this account that we read
of David and his men, when they had been besieged while they
were away, and everything had been taken from Ziklag, And David
had sought to his God. And what we read in this 19th
verse is that David recovered all. It's a wonderful statement
to realize that God is faithful. And God hears and answers prayer. It's hard for us to visualize,
isn't it, the destitution which must have occurred when David
and his men returned to Ziklag and they found that it had been
invaded and smitten and burned with fire. It must have been
a terrible, terrible shock for them. And we read of the effect
it had. They wept until they had no more
power to weep. We can understand that. Their
wives had been taken, their children had been taken, their goods had
been taken, and they were destitute. And they didn't know who'd done
it. They were in a very difficult
case. So we can imagine the condition
that they found themselves in. And we know that David was greatly
distressed. The people spake of stoning him.
because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his
sons and for his daughters. But, and it's wonderful to realise
that in a condition like this, what David did, and it's an example
to us in our lives, but David encouraged himself in the Lord
his God. He turned to his God, he poured
out his heart, to his God. He didn't look all around and
think, well, what should I do? Where should I go? He came directly
to his God. And my friends, how relevant
that is. You know, sometimes, sadly, when we're in a difficult
situation we find ourselves in, we don't automatically commit
it to the Lord. That's what we should do. Sometimes,
it's quite some time, before we realize our condition. But here we see David then asked
the priest, Himalek's son, to bring him the ephod. And Abiathar
brought it thither to David, and David inquired at the Lord. And he asked, shall I pursue
after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And he
answered him, Pursue, for thou shalt surely overtake them, and
without fail recover all. That was a wonderful promise
to David, wasn't it? But it was something that had
to be worked out. And it was worked out, to God's
honour and to God's glory. And we read this account, And
we're tempted to think, well, of course, that was just a one-off
occasion. That was most remarkable. Well,
it was most remarkable, but we shouldn't consider it as a one-off
occasion. Because throughout the history
of the world, throughout our history as a nation, perhaps
as our little history in our little lives, we've seen the
wonderful effect of God hearing and answering prayer and telling
us very clearly what would occur. It's a very wonderful statement. For thou shalt surely recover,
overtake them, and without fail recover all. We should realise
that God's words are sure. God's words are certain. You and I can't rely on mere
mortals' promises. But we can rely upon what God
has said. And so we find David therefore
pursues. He had 600 men. He left 200 behind
to look after all their gear. then the 400 and David pursued
and went to over the brook Besor. And we see here again how God
wonderfully arranged that there should be an Egyptian, a young
Egyptian, who'd been left behind of the enemy and Wonderful provision
for David and his people because they wanted to know where the
attackers had gone. They didn't know. How were they
to find out? Well, God had told them to pursue,
He told them to overtake, and therefore He provided the means
to be directed in the right way. And we shouldn't therefore underestimate
our God. He knows the end from the beginning,
He knows what He will do, and He knows how He will direct us
in perhaps difficult situations. And we found this Egyptian in
the field and brought him to David, and gave him bread and
he ate, and they made him drink water. and they gave him a cake
of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit
came again to him, for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any
water three days and three nights. And David asked him to whom he
belonged, and he said he was an Amalekite, and his master
had left him because he was sick. And he told them what had happened.
They'd attacked and burnt Ziklag with fire and taken the people
prisoner. And David asked him, can you
lead me down to this people? It's interesting how this young
man answered. He said, swear unto me by God. Now, he was an Egyptian. He wasn't really an Israelite
as such, one who worshipped God, and yet here he said in these
words very clearly that he asked therefore that that he said,
Canst thou lead me? And he said, Swear unto me by
God that thou wilt neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands
of my master, and I will bring thee down to this enemy. Well,
we're not told, but that must have been an encouragement to
David to think that, well, here was a man who believed in God. We can assume he did believe
in God and therefore have some confidence that he wouldn't lead
them astray, but would indeed honour that which he had promised
to do. And so he brought him down and
found all the Ammonites dancing and feasting because of the great
victory that they'd obtained over the Philistines, not only
over David, but previously over the Philistines. And what a wonderful
revelation that was for David. And then we're told, and David
smote them from twilight even unto the evening of the next
day. And there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young
men, which rode upon camels and fled. And then we come and David
recovered all that the Amalekites had taken away. And David rescued
his two wives. And then we come to this 19th
verse. And there was nothing lacking. It's lovely, isn't it,
to realize. the faithfulness of God, and
also the fact that it's recorded so that you and I can be encouraged
in our life. Nothing, nothing lacking. Everything recovered. Wonderful,
wasn't it? The power of God. Nothing lacking
to them, neither small nor great, neither neither their daughters nor spoil. All things they had taken were
recovered and David recovered all. Well I think it's a wonderful
testimony and an encouraging testimony. Not only was it on
that occasion to David but I believe it would have been to the Church
of God down through the ages and it should be to us tonight. Now we're not in obviously the
same position that David was when the Malachites came and
captured everything. But it may be that we've lost
things, we've had things perhaps stolen, and we're not sure what
to do. Well, we have an example a testimony
here of what David did and how it worked out. And it's good
for us to always recognise that the Word of God is written specifically
for the Church of God so that we might be encouraged by it. And remember here in this account
we have the statement that David was told he sought the Lord He
committed it to the Lord, and how important that is. That in our lives, we commit
ourselves to God. We pray to God. We inquire of
God. That's what David did. He inquired
of the Lord, asking whether he should pursue and overtake them. And God answered him very clearly.
Pursue, for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail
recover all. When God speaks, when God gives
us promises, we can believe without fail they will come to pass. Now here we have an account where
the answer was very quick, not always very quick, sometimes
takes a long time because the Lord tells us Your time is always,
but my time is not yet. And the reason for that is that
God gives us faith to believe his promises and believe his
word, but that faith has to be tested as to the reality of it. And if every time we had a little
situation, We prayed and it was answered immediately. We would
think, well, this is pretty easy and I needn't worry too much.
Well, God tests our faith. And we're told so clearly, we
walk by faith and not by sight. That's how we traverse this earth,
our life. If we are a true believer, that's
how we should pursue our way. desire to follow the clear words
of God, believing what he's said to us. And so David did pursue
And as we've already gone through the little account, how wonderful
it was that this young man was found. And so David came and
recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away. And David rescued
his two wives and there was nothing lacking. I do like those words,
nothing lacking. It's comprehensive, isn't it?
Because it means what it says. It means that the small items
which may have been relatively insignificant, but nonetheless
recovered, nothing lacking. You see, our God is a perfect
God. Our God is a great God. And when he speaks in ways like
this, and you young people, you may not have come into a position
like this, but it's good perhaps if in due time You remember these
statements that you will recover all. You will recover all. I
mean, I had a situation in my life when this occurred. The
Lord told me to pursue and that I would recover all. And I went
in the strength of that promise. And by his grace, I did recover
all, everything. I won't go into the details,
but if you knew what the details were, you would be surprised.
But our God is all-powerful, and He's able to do precisely
what He said. And we gain the strength of promises
like that. And then the important thing
is that when the Lord does appear, when he does, honour that promise
that we, in our little way, honour and glorify our God by confessing
what he's done, how he's heard and answered prayer. Nothing
lacking. neither small nor great, neither
sons nor daughters, neither spoil nor anything that they had taken
to them. David recovered all. It's a very wonderful conclusion,
isn't it? It's so positive. And as I often
say, God's Word is positive. We often fail to realize how
strong it is. and how encouraging it is and
how we ought to thank God for it and believe the great truths
that we have in Scripture. So many examples of God hearing
and answering prayer. Well, it's a good thing to do
and it's good to look into our own hearts and our own experience
and to recognize whether God has heard and whether God has
answered our prayers perhaps we ought to go back and say have
we prayed to God that he would answer prayers and when he has
do we acknowledge his great goodness and his great kindness to us
what a wonderful God we have who deals with us in love in
love to our souls You know, as we read on in this wonderful
book, we come across Ezra and Nehemiah, and they were situations
where they needed God to appear for them. And it's good when
God did indeed appear for them. He didn't leave them. He didn't
forsake them, but he did appear for them. God's goodness is titled. What a wonderful thing it is.
And in the Ninth chapter of Nehemiah, we read an account of God. A God ready to pardon, Nehemiah
says, but thou art a God ready to pardon. And he's previously
outlined their situation. But they and our fathers doubt
proudly and harden their necks and hearken not to thy commandments. Now we have to take the whole
counsel of God and follow it through and realize precisely
what it says. And so here, Nehemiah is reminding
the Israelites, having been delivered out of Babylon, and now he reminds
them as they found back in their homeland of Jerusalem, and he
goes on to say they harden their necks and hearken not to thy
commandments we mustn't just pass over statements like that
because we need to look into our own hearts and see whether
God has directed us in a certain way and we've hardened our hearts
and we have not hearkened to God's words we've turned against
it and refused to obey. It's a tragic scene, isn't it? Refused to obey, neither were
mindful of the wonders that thou didst among them, but hardened
their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return
to their bondage. But thou art a God ready to pardon. how comforting that is. It's
really because, as we've sung, the loving-kindness of our God
in not dealing with us as our sins deserve. In David's case,
he departed on occasions from his God, he'd walked contrary
to his God, but God in his loving-kindness toward him blessed him and favoured
him. This is a God ready to pardon,
gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness and
forsakes them not. Encouraging words, aren't they?
God doesn't ditch us and put us on the rubbish heap, but he's
gracious and kind and merciful. and doesn't forsake us. And yea,
he goes on, he says, when they made them a molten calf and said,
this is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt and had
wrought great provocations. Quite amazing, wasn't it? That
the Israelites, having been brought safely out of Egypt, across Jordan,
Moses had gone up the mountain to meet God and the Israelites
had cried unto Aaron to make them a God, which he did. He
made them that golden calf. Sad, wasn't it? Well, don't think
that you and I are strong and we will never do such a thing
as that. My friends, never say, I would
never do that. Have to say, by the grace of
God, I would never do that because left to ourselves we do do things
which are wrong and so the Nirmai goes on yet thou in thy manifold
mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness the pillar of
cloud departed not from them by day to lead them in the way
neither the pillar of fire by night to show them light and
the way wherein they should go, thou gavest also thy good spirit
to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manner from their mouth. and gave us them water for their
thirst. And he goes on and just reminds
them, yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness,
so that they lacked nothing. Lacked nothing. Wasn't it wonderful? Just like we read here in Samuel,
they lacked everything. Nothing was lost. Nothing. They
lacked nothing. And so here it was again, they
lacked nothing. And their clothes waxed not old,
and their feet swelled not. You see, God is able to do great
things. And you young people, do remember
that God doesn't change. And that means that God is able
to do great things for us today. because he is an all-powerful
God. He hasn't lost any of his power.
He still is powerful and great and wonderful. And so we're thankful
to be able to read a statement like that in Nehemiah and realize
the relevance of it and how wonderful it is. The Lord Jesus Christ
we read in the Hebrews. The same yesterday and today
and forever. We need to remind ourselves of
that. When we come to God in prayer, we pray to God believing
that He does hear and does answer our prayers. We don't come to
the unknown God. We don't come to a God who does
not hear an answer, but we come to a God who does hear an answer. And a God who is able to do far
more, exceeding abundantly, than you and I can ask or even think. This was a great problem for
David, wasn't it? A great problem to think that
he'd lost everything. Small things, big things, his
wives, his children. And yet God wonderfully appeared
so that he recovered everything. Nothing was lost. What a God
we have. And that's why we're able to
read in the New Testament that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday. The one who delivered David in
that wonderful way. And today. and tomorrow and forever. That's the God that you and I
are privileged to come to and privileged to worship. It should
be a wonderful encouragement. We have so many examples in the
Word of God to strengthen our faith and to encourage us as
we journey on through life. Well, God in his sovereignty has recorded
this account of David. We might think it is quite an
extreme situation. Sometimes you and I come into
quite extreme situations in our little lives. And God knows why he brings us
into conditions like this. Surely it is to test our faith,
Surely it is to strengthen our faith. Surely it is to encourage
us that we come to the great Almighty God. And when we think
of that, it doesn't only refer to those things in Providence. This was things naturally. But my friends, it also has reference
to the things which concern our own spiritual life. the health
of our own soul again sometimes the devil may come in as a flood
and try and overwhelm us try and overwhelm us and how important
it is that you and I are on our watchtower yes and diligent in
considering those things which perhaps we're tempted by, we
don't give in to about that God enables us to stand firm and
to commit our way unto the Lord you see when the devil may come
and tell us well you can do this and you can do that and well
there's no harm in it well of course I hope we all realize
that when the devil ever speaks like that we should be very aware
that he's trying his utmost to turn us away from the truth of
God. But you see, when the Lord leaves
us so that we do sin, like David did, turn our back upon God,
please ourselves, what a mercy to realise that we have a God
who is able and willing to forgive to the uttermost. That's everything,
isn't it? The uttermost is everything. Just like it is here. Just like
it is in these words. There was nothing lacking. Now
God delivers His children completely. He blesses us with His Spirit
to instruct us and direct us to our great and glorious Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Wonderful how willingly He was
to come into this sinful world and to deliver us from our sinful
condition. My friends, every sin washed
away. Everything. Nothing forgotten. God doesn't forget and leaves
behind a few sins. No, my friends, we're washed
in the blood of the Lamb. And that's a wonderful and glorious
realization to think that Almighty God condescends to deliver our
soul from the power of Satan. These Israelites were delivered
from the Amalekites by the power of God, by the wonderful revelation
of God. my friends perhaps you and I
need to be delivered from spiritual Amalekites those who would come
and ruin our lives would take away all that God has given us and leave us bankrupt well we
have a prayer hearing and a prayer answering God we have a God who
is able to do far more exceedingly abundantly than we can ask or
even think. Never, never limit God. Never think that he won't hear.
He has told us, I will be inquired of by the House of Israel to
do these things for them. We are to pray to God. We are
to commit our way unto God. But God is a prayer hearing and
a prayer answering God. And that's not only in our spiritual
life, which we're very thankful for, but also in our natural
life and in your... you who are at school and at
college and university. God still hears prayers when
perhaps you find you've got a situation perhaps not able to answer questions
in your curriculum and God can give you wisdom and give you
understanding perhaps temptations people may rise up against you
and tempt you and mock you because of your belief in Almighty God
But God has said, and you can rely upon this promise, He has
said, I would never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Sometimes we may feel that this
is just too impossible. Nothing is impossible with Almighty
God. And be encouraged by that. Remember that little couplet,
take it to the Lord in prayer. Take it to the Lord in prayer.
The devil may say, well, God will never answer that. God may
say, well, that's too small. The devil may say, that's too
big. Nothing is impossible with God. And that's why we have so many
wonderful illustrations in the Word of God to encourage us and
to strengthen us and to direct us. I sometimes like to ponder
the case of Ruth, that little book of Ruth. And we see how
there God graciously blessed her. She didn't have an easy
life, did she? Didn't have an easy life at all.
But God was with her. wonderfully, and through Nehemiah,
coming into that country of Mayan, and meeting with Ruth through
marrying one of her sons, and then of course he was taken,
lost his life, But God was with Ruth. And we have that wonderful
example of Naomi set before her. And it's good for us today to
realise the importance of setting a good example before the young
people. Because it made such an impression
upon Ruth that when at home I said, you better go back to your country,
I'm going back to where I come from, you go back to your country.
And she said, entreat me not to leave thee, nor for following
after thee, for thy people will be my people, and thy God my
God. It was a very wonderful testimony
that Nehemiah was able to give. And it's good, therefore, to
remember things just like the testimony of David here. It's a very glorious pattern
we have throughout the Word of God. Prayer. Prayer, my friends,
is so necessary. You know, you and I, naturally,
to live, what do we do? We breathe, don't we? If you
didn't breathe, you wouldn't live, would you? Well, just apply
that to the spiritual situation. If you don't pray, you'll find
there's no spiritual life. We need to pray. We need to commit
our way unto God. Prayer is one of the hardest
things that we have to do. You may say, why is that? Because
the devil doesn't like you praying. And therefore he'll try and distract
you in prayer and turn your mind away so that you will forget
perhaps even what you're praying for. The devil never gives up. But do remember this. God has
conquered the devil and the word tells us and we are more than
conquerors through Him. It's encouraging, isn't it? So
you and I have many things to encourage us in the Word of God,
to pursue praying to God and following His way, and to remember
this occasion in the book of Samuel, the 30th chapter, where
we see so clearly God wonderfully appearing. Hearing David's prayer. You see, David was moved by the
Spirit of God to inquire of God. And that's a blessing, if God
moves you and me. To come to God. To pray. Lord, what wilt thou have me
to do? I expect you remember who that
was who said that. It was the Apostle Paul. What
wilt thou have me to do? He'd been very rebellious against
God. He walked contrary to God until
the appointed time on that road when he was travelling to Damascus
again to imprison believers. And God came and struck him down
and spoke to him. And his response was, what will
thou have me to do? It's good when God speaks to
us so that we throw aside all our plans that we thought were
good and right and proper and bow down and simply say, Lord,
what will thou have me to do? Well, God had a wonderful plan
for Paul. It wasn't an easy plan. It wasn't
an easy plan. And if you read the account in
the Acts of the Apostles and through the epistles that Paul
wrote, you will see how much difficulty he had to face but
God never forsook him God was with him in the most difficult
situation so may we tonight be encouraged to believe that we
are able to come to this great God as poor little unworthy sinners
of the earth approach unto the majesty on high And my friends
do desire to have right views of the greatness of God and the
wonder of his compassion in looking down upon us, mere sinners of
the earth. And yet he does hear and answer
prayer. So may we be encouraged tonight. And thank God that we have a
statement like this. And there was nothing lacking
to them, neither small nor great. neither sons nor daughters, neither
spoil nor anything that they had taken to them. David recovered
all. Well, we can praise God for it. Amen.