Stolen Goods

Having something stolen is so infuriating!  Especially if there was a break-in.  You feel violated.  You also feel paranoid that it could happen again.  

But some rip offs go unnoticed.

Touring Venice, Italy, with a group of people was a memorable experience.  The canals, the Piazza San Marco, and the food was amazing.  But the most outstanding memory I have happened as we were getting ready to pay for our food in little restaurant.

“My wallet! My wallet! It’s gone!”

My friend shouted as he frantically searched through all his pockets, looked around the table, and under his chair.  The waiter came to assist.  “Signore, preggo.  I’m afraid-a you been a-pickpocketed.”  

As we retraced our steps, my friend remembered being surrounded earlier that day by a group of people.  Several of them bumped into him.  No doubt they were the ones who got his wallet.  But it wasn’t until he needed his wallet many hours later that he noticed it was gone.

This is how Satan perpetrates his thievery. Secretive. Stealthy. And unnoticed often until it’s too late.

David and his men were pursuing what seemed to be a noble thing.  They were offering military assistance to another king.  But they had left their families in a place called Ziklag. They king turned down their offer and they began to head back home.

As they returned, they saw smoke off in the distance in the direction of their camp.  They began to run.  Soon it was clear that Ziklag had been attacked.  Everything was burned, all the livestock was gone, and worse—all their families had been taken.

These men of war began to cry like babies.  As their minds raced with what could be happening to their wives and children, they turned their anger on David.  This is where we are told the famous line, “And David encouraged himself in the Lord.”

But that’s not the most important thing David did.

David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And the LORD answered him, 

Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all. (1 Samuel 30:8)

With that, David and his men found the enemy’s location, attacked them, and recovered everyone and everything that had been stolen.

Even though Satan is good at attacking us when we are not expecting it, or when we have our guards down, rather than giving up in defeat, we can seek the Lord’s assistance. 

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
(Hebrews 7:25)

As it becomes clear to you that enemy has ripped you off, and you began to realize that you might have been asleep at the switch, rather than mourn the loss, or sink into depression and self-loathing, turn to Lord for help.  Ask him to restore what’s been taken.  

If it’s your wallet, you may still have to pay for lunch.