Pursue, Overtake, and Recover All,

Pursue, Overtake, and Recover All

When seeking the Lord this season about what to bring to you all and preparing for this trip, I truly felt God say to me, “Bring Jesus. Tell them about Me.”

I said, “But Father, many are already born again—what do You mean, tell them about You?”
Yet deep in my heart, I knew what He meant. What burned within me was the desire to bring you something of the intimacy that Jesus longs to have with every one of us.

My journey is not complete yet—I’m still growing in His love and in all that He has for me. But my passion, even at this stage of life, traveling halfway around the world, is to see many of you ignited with a fresh fire in your spirit—for the love and intimacy God desires for all His people.

This burns so deeply in my heart it brings me to tears—the thought that I might share with you the power and intensity of how Jesus feels when His children don’t fellowship with Him in the way He longs for.

I carry a passion for people to encounter the Lord. Too many stop short of divine encounter because they are content with good theology. For many, the goal has become to understand a concept—rather than to encounter the God of the concept.

Let us go deeper in our personal encounters—with how we think, how we live, and how we love. Let everything we do carry an awareness of His presence—with every breath we take and every connection we make with another person.
In short—let us be Jesus to the world.

David’s Story – 1 Samuel 30

David had faced much rejection by this point. He’d been rejected by Saul, rejected by Israel, rejected by the Philistines—and now, rejected by his own men. In verse 6 we read that “David was greatly distressed because his men spoke of stoning him.”

Earlier, in 1 Samuel 22:2, we’re told that everyone who was distressed, in debt, or bitter of soul gathered to David—and he became their leader. What a motley crew that must have been! Yet these same men would later be known as David’s mighty men of valor.

David had fled to the land of the Philistines, helping them fight Israel’s enemies. The Philistines had given David the city of Ziklag. The story picks up after the Philistine rulers refused to let David and his men join their battle against Israel, fearing he might turn on them.

When David and his men returned to Ziklag, they discovered that the Amalekites had raided the city, burned it to the ground, and taken all their women and children captive. They were devastated. They might not have been the best husbands or fathers, but they still felt the pain of loss deeply.

There are many people who don’t always get things right—but still have hearts that long to do right.

David called for the priest and said, “Bring me the ephod,” and he inquired of the Lord.
It might have seemed obvious what to do—go and rescue the captives—but David still sought the Lord first.

And the Lord replied:
“Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them, and you shall surely recover all.”

Our greatest disasters often lie at the door of our greatest assumptions—assuming we know what God wants. David could have assumed that, because he was anointed king and favored by God, success would automatically follow. But obedience is not measured by our ability to keep the principles of the Kingdom—it’s measured by our response to His voice.

David knew what had happened was wrong—yet he still sought the Lord before acting.
We all live by certain creeds and principles, but it’s the tenderness of heart to listen to His voice that brings true victory.

Each of us wants to do mighty exploits in the Kingdom. There’s a deep desire in every believer to hear Him speak and to accomplish what He has called us to do. But imagine the disappointment of reaching heaven only to find that our accomplishments burn up like chaff—because they were done in our own strength, not in obedience to His voice.

David set out with 600 men, but 200 were too exhausted to continue, so he went on with 400. They succeeded in rescuing the women and children. When they returned, some of the men didn’t want to share the spoils of war with those who had stayed behind.
But David said no—the spoils would be shared equally among those who fought and those who guarded the camp. That day he established a decree for all Israel.

Hearing God’s Voice Above Assumption

The ache of our hearts is often for approval, direction, and timing. It’s easy to see a situation, remember a previous testimony, and try to repeat it expecting the same result.

For example, if someone was healed after we did a three-day fast, we might be tempted to call another fast next time we face a similar situation—assuming God will move the same way again. But we must pause, seek Him, and listen.

The testimony of the Lord is the Spirit of prophecy—it reveals God’s nature, not the method.
The miracle shows that God is a healer—it doesn’t prescribe the procedure.

Jesus healed one blind man by spitting in the mud and another by simply declaring sight restored.
We are not called to repeat the method; we’re called to walk in relationship with the One who heals.

My prayer in seeking God is no longer about the outcome—that part is settled. I’ve discovered His heart and I know His will.

David knew he was destined to be a warrior king, yet his loss at Ziklag felt completely opposite to that calling. Without the word of the Lord, every battle becomes a vain effort. But when we have His word, light breaks into the darkness, and the inferior yields to the supernatural.

Joshua and the Gibeonites – Seeking Counsel from the Lord

In Joshua 9, the Gibeonites deceived Israel into making a covenant of peace with them. Even though they lied, Scripture says in verse 14:
“The men took some of their provisions and did not seek counsel from the Lord.”

How often do we move forward—whether in ministry or everyday life—without truly seeking the Lord’s counsel? Many times He graciously covers and protects us, but we still go through things we never needed to face. We may even quote Scripture to justify our choices—but we haven’t paused to hear His voice.

If you are willing to make your history with God, He will make His history with you.

Go to that quiet place with His Word. Read until the Word leaps off the page and brings life. This is the foundation of Christian living: God spoke—and you came alive.

It’s far more joyful to do something when God has spoken to you than to act and simply hope He blesses it.
Stop asking God to bless what you’re doing—start doing what God is blessing.

Pursue, Overtake, and Recover All

The goal of the Kingdom is that God releases His favor on you—not for yourself alone, but so you can bless those around you. If it stops with you, you become like the Dead Sea.

The Lord is giving us a season to pursue, overtake, and recover all.

How do we practically walk this out?

1. Worship

He’s calling us to worship extravagantly—like David did.
Rejoice and live in joy at all times. Worship like your life depends on it.
What you are least inclined to do in the natural, you are most empowered to do in the supernatural.

2. Calling

He’s calling each of us into the secret place to hear His voice.
Read Scripture until it speaks to you. Sit in His presence. Rest at His feet.
Don’t rush in with your shopping list of “bless me, give me, help me.”
Instead, minister to Him:
“Lord, what do You want me to do for You today? Where shall we go? Who do You want me to speak to?”

Become one with Him. Acknowledge that He is in you and desires to use you.

How many here want to be a successful warrior in the Kingdom?
Then let us seek His face—and together, pursue, overtake, and recover all