YOU WILL SURELY RECOVER ALL
Dearly Beloved, I bring you greetings in the name that is above every other name, Jesus Christ the Son of the living God and our soon coming King. I also want to welcome you to the month of July, the 7th month of the year of All Grace. Indeed, God has beengracious to us as a people. Even in the midst of the raging tempest, and rising billows, He has preserved and protected us, reason why we have every cause to bless the name of the Lord. He has been our Ebenezer, Strong Tower, Hiding Place, a very present Help, hallelujah.
Child of God, always remember that God chose you even before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4), and because of that, you are set to recover all that seems lost, due to the global pandemic. You have nothing to fear, because your victory is guaranteed through Christ Jesus. He already settled it at the Cross, once and for all, and this is why I’m confident that this month will not end without your testimony.
“And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? 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.” – 1 Samuel 30:8 KJV (Emphasis mine)
The above scripture is a story we’re all familiar with; one that should fill us with hope and expectation, even in these times of uncertainty. David found himself in a dreadful situation. In fact, I don’t think that he would’ve ever imagined that such a thing would happen to him, but there it was, staring him in the face. The Amalekites had ravaged Ziklag, taking away their families and belongings. It was completely devastating, to the point where David’s men began to talk about stoning him, and you won’t blame them. This is where many of us have stopped.
Child of God, you may have suffered setbacks, or maybe like David, found yourself in unfamiliar territory, with no help in sight. Listen, I have good news for you; you will surely recover all. However, you must change your posture; switch from hopelessness to encouragement. That was the beginning of David’s miracle; the Bible says he encouraged himself in the Lord. Even though it’s not clear, but I can imagine that he began to remind himself of the great and mighty victories God had granted him, and rather than remain discouraged, his soul was lifted. Beloved, gratitude provokes worship, and worship gives God the license to flex His muscles on your behalf. Don’t allow the devil keep you bound, pondering on what you seem to have lost; remind yourself of the bigness of your God and watch mountains level before you.
Notice that I didn’t say, “what you have lost”, but “what you SEEM to have lost”. Why? Because in the real sense of it, the enemy that has apparently stolen from you, is very much afraid of you, and is only “keeping” the things he stole, waiting for when you’ll come back for them. Maybe you’re asking, “but brother Mike, how do you know?” Let’s look at v.2 of that same scripture;
“And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.”
Did you see that? The Bible was careful to record that the enemies didn’t kill any of the captives, but carried them away. Imagine if they had killed their wives and children, would there have been any need to pursue, overtake and recover all? Absolutely not! Such an instruction wouldn’t have made any sense, because there would be nothing to recover. In fact, the word “recover” suggests that that which was stolen is still there, waiting for the owner to take the necessary steps to regain it. However, you won’t recover, if you’re still crying and weeping.
David only received instruction from God when he functioned in the authority of his identity. In v.7 of that scripture, he requested for the Ephod from Abiathar the priest. Do you know what the Ephod is? It is the priestly garment, meaning that David functioned in his office as a priest. Child of God, do you know who you are? The Bible says that you are a king and priest unto God, called to reign upon this earth (Rev. 5:10). Function in your priestly capacity!
Beloved, don’t join the company of those who wallow in their situations, forgetting who they are in Christ. I challenge you this month, to zero in on your new creation realities, and take back all the devil has stolen from you. I declare that you will not be denied, because God’s word cannot fail. I will hear your testimony!
Maranatha!
In His Royal Service,
Dr. Mike Okonkwo
The Presiding Bishop
