The Scripture says that, “The thief’s (Satan’s) purpose is to steal, kill and destroy.” (John 10:10 TLB). What has the devil stolen from you? Is it your health, a relationship, your finances, something physical? God is in the restoration business. He desires for you to reclaim what is yours. Today, let’s look at how one man in the Bible got back what was stolen from him.
           
              David, future king of Israel, and his men had been out fighting their enemies. When they returned to Ziklag, their home base, they found everything had been taken – their wives, children, and everyone else. In addition, the Amalekites had burned everything to the ground. 1 Samuel 30:4 says David and his men “wept until they could weep no more.” But then David’s men turned against him and threatened to stone him. What did David do? 1 Samuel 30:6 (KJV) says, “And David was greatly distressed…but (he) encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”
           
             David encouraged himself in the Lord. When you are at a crossroads, how do you do this? You do it with the Word of God. You remind yourself what God has said about you, the dominion He has given you as a believer, and the promises in His Word which cover every situation you can ever face. Secondly, you remember the victories He’s given you in the past – the times He’s healed, restored relationships, provided for financial needs.
           
          The next thing David did was to pursue. David asked the Lord if he should pursue the enemy. “And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them...” (1 Samuel 30: 8 NKJV). David gathered up his men, pursued his enemy and attacked him until he was defeated. How do we pursue as believers today? We determine we will not settle for the thievery, we take up arms, and we go after what has been stolen.
           
            God has provided us with the weapons we need – His Word, the words of our mouth, and the knowledge Jesus won the victory over the powers of darkness when He rose from the dead.
           
              The third thing David did was to overtake. After God told David to pursue, he said to him, “You shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all” (verse 8, NKJV). God guaranteed David’s success. But it didn’t come easily. The Scripture says “David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day” (1 Samuel 30:17, NKJV). How do we overtake? We rebuke the devil in the Name of Jesus. We bind every spirit that comes against us. We keep speaking the Word of God. And we use the spiritual forces of faith and patience by which we inherit the promises.
           
​               And the best part? Not only did David recover all but he took the spoils from the Amalekites as well. That’s what happened to Job. He regained double for everything Satan had taken from him. Don’t just go for what you’ve lost. Anticipate more. In Jesus, you are more than a conqueror. The Scripture says if we catch a thief, he must restore seven times what he stole. (Proverbs 6:31).  So take back what has been stolen from you. Bankrupt the devil.

            As a born-again believer, you have divine favour with God. That’s right. His Word says so. “For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:12 NKJV). Favour is mentioned over seventy times in the Bible. The favour of God guarantees His presence and power to accomplish His purposes for you. His favour lasts a lifetime. “For His anger is but for a moment; His favor is for life…” (Psalm 30:5 NKJV). For every season of our lives, God provides His favour. That especially comforts me in the golden years of my life.
           
             You can grow in the favour of God. “Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.” (1 Samuel 2:26 ESV). “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52 NKJV).
           
                 I would like to look at five aspects of God’s favour.

1. Even when you seem the least likely to receive it, God’s favour produces recognition. “And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.” (1 Samuel 16:22 KJV). The youngest son of Jesse, who his father didn’t even think about when Samuel came to anoint a king, a humble shepherd boy, found favour is the eyes of the king of Israel.
   
2. Petitions are granted through divine favour, even by ungodly civil authorities. “If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them…” (Esther 5:8 NIV). We know from Scripture that King Xerxes granted Esther’s request.
3. Among our enemies, favour produces honour. “(For God caused the Egyptians to be very favorable to the people of Israel, and Moses was a very great man in the land of Egypt and was revered by Pharaoh’s officials and the Egyptian people alike.)” (Exodus 11:3 TLB).
4. Favour brings the restoration of what the enemy has purloined from us. “And I will cause the Egyptians to look favorably on you. They will give you gifts when you go so you will not leave empty-handed.” (Exodus 3:21 NLT). Later on in Exodus, it says, “The Lord caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth!” (Exodus 12:36 NLT). The NKJV says that the Israelites plundered the Egyptians.
5. Battles are won you didn’t fight because God fought them for you.” For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, Nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because You favored them.” (Psalm 44:3 NKJV).

       So, dear believer in Jesus, walk in the light of God’s favour today. It’s all around you and protects you like a shield. God says so.

        In Christ Jesus, ​God has done so much for us as born-again believers. In this post, I want to list just a very small portion of what we have in Him as His blood-bought children.

      We've been made His righteousness. “For God made the only one who did not know sin to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God through our union with him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 TPT).

          Jesus has given us His Name, the Name above every name. “And these miracle signs will accompany those who believe: They will drive out demons in the power of my name. They will speak in tongues. They will be supernaturally protected from snakes and from drinking anything poisonous. And they will lay hands on the sick and heal them.” (Mark 16:17 TPT).

         In addition to His Name, Jesus has given us His authority. “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 MSG).

       We have His armour. “Put on truth as a belt to strengthen you to stand in triumph. Put on holiness as the protective armor that covers your heart. Stand on your feet alert, then you’ll always be ready to share the blessings of peace. In every battle, take faith as your wrap-around shield, for it is able to extinguish the blazing arrows coming at you from the evil one! Embrace the power of salvation’s full deliverance, like a helmet to protect your thoughts from lies. And take the mighty razor-sharp Spirit-sword of the spoken word of God. Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times.” (Ephesians 6:14-18 TPT).

         His supernatural weapons belong to us. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NKJV).

        We can come boldly to His throne of grace. “By the blood of Jesus, He has given you the privilege to come boldly to His throne of grace and to find help in your time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 World English Bible).

          No earthly force or demonic power can separate us from His love. “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 NLT).

          Through an abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, we are to reign in life – not just when we get to Heaven. “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive an abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” (Romans 5:17 Berean Study Bible). 

            In addition to the above, He has given us His protection, exchanged our poverty for His riches, we’ve been adopted into His family as sons and daughters and made ambassadors of His kingdom. We are more than conquerors and have been made “…kings and priests to his God and Father, to him is the glory and the power to the ages of the ages! Amen.” (Revelation 1:6 Young's Literal Translation).

             My heart is bursting with joy as I look over these Scriptures and I trust that yours is also. We can speak with the writer to the Hebrews in Hebrews 13:6 NIV, “So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?"