So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?”
And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” 1 Samuel 30:8 (NKJV)

Have you ever found yourself at the crossroads? Have you been faced with various viable alternatives but do not know the precise action to take? It might even seem there are no options but you still need to make a decision. If you have been there or you are there right now, be assured that you are not alone. We all, at various times in life, find ourselves at the crossroads.
The story of David the shepherd boy, who later became king of Israel, is one of the stories in the Bible I find fascinating. It is a story of rising from grass to grace, from being rejected and left alone with nothing but animals at the backside of the wilderness to being favoured and brought to the forefront, to a place of prominence. But his journey to greatness did not happen in a day; it was not without thorns, pains and trials. Irrespective of the position he found himself at various seasons of his life, his attitude, faith and reliance in God remained unshakeable. Quite a number of times, he found himself at the crossroads, where he had to make life-or-death decisions. But, when confronted with such circumstances, he never made a decision without first inquiring from God.
One of those instances was after the princes of the Philistines rejected him and his men from going with them to battle against Israel under the kingship of Saul. David and his men returned home to Ziklag, the city were they had been given asylum, only to find their city had been invaded and burnt down by the Amalekites. The enemies also carried away as captives David’s wives, his children, and the wives and children of all his men. No one was spared.
It must have been very disheartening returning empty handed from a seemingly promising trip. (Remember, in those days people went to war and brought home the spoils of war when they conquered.) David and his men lost the opportunity of bringing home the spoils of war, after they were turned back from fighting. To add salt to injury, they met their city burnt and their loved ones carried away. Every man grieved sorely for his wife or wives and children; the Bible says they wept until they had no strength again to cry. They must have felt despondent and lost all hope of ever seeing their families again, so much so that wanted to stone their leader David to death.
Remember, even David lost his family. Then the men who were supposed to be his friends and followers, people who looked up to him, turned against him. That must have been really heartbreaking for him. But what did he do in response to the situation? He grieved for his family and those of his men, all right, but rose up as a leader and sought direction from his Shepherd (Psalm 23:1). The word of God says in 1 Samuel 30 that David “inquired from the Lord”. This entails asking and seeking God’s face for direction or answers regarding any situation. And God answered David by telling him to “pursue” the raiders. He also gave him the assurance that “he would overtake them and without fail recover all”. Then he pursued the Amalekites, conquered and dispossessed them, and he recovered all that was stolen from him and his men.
God never changes. Just as He was David’s Shepherd in those days, He is still our Shepherd today. It is the duty of a shepherd to tend (take care of), feed, protect and give direction to his sheep. A good shepherd will always go before his flocks. John 10:4 says, “And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them….” And God is favourably disposed to us, not because of what we did or merited, but because of the precious blood of Jesus Christ His son. We must abide in Him and heed His instructions to enjoy this relationship to the fullest.
Has the enemy taken away anything precious from you? Why not seek your Father’s (the Great Shepherd’s) face and trust His leading for total recovery of all that has been stolen from you? It is my prayer that you shall without fail recover all in Jesus name.