The Tribune

By Yasmin Hanna

HAVE you ever felt overwhelmed, distressed or worried because of perplexed circumstances?

Today, you might still feel engulfed with burdensome occurrences, but God is able to overtake every area in your life that feels fragmented and cause them to shift from broken pieces to complete restoration.

Sometimes, the daily agendas of your life can seem inexhaustible and daunting. It is easy to feel broken when things appear chaotic. You can feel a sense of helplessness and discouragement if you do not know which way to turn when unexpected misfortunes occur.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV)

With the changing stages of life, God will give you peace that surpasses all understanding. Throughout the years, it is indispensable to keep your eyes focused on Him when countless distractions, hurdles and obstacles come your way.

As an illustration, David faced a circumstance so devastating that it caused him to mourn until he had no more energy to mourn. There was a time when He had a conflict with the Amalekites.

Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way.

So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. (1 Samuel 30:1-4 NKJV)

I cannot fathom the pain and anguish that David and the people who were with him felt when their place of residence was burning and their wives and kids were taken captive.

Eventually, the grief experienced by the men quickly turned into anger towards David. Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. (1 Samuel 30:6 NKJV)

David could have felt hopeless because he was grieving as well, but he was not deterred, so he asked God what he should do pertaining to this dire situation.

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)

David listened to God and pursued the Amalekites. So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Brook Besor, where those stayed were left behind. But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor. (1 Samuel 30:9-10 NKJV)

David was unwavering to recapture everything that the Amalekites had stolen from them. David, and the men that were with him, recovered all that the Amalekites had taken. The wives, sons and daughters were all rescued along with everything else that the Amalekites had removed from David's camp. Just like David and his men, you are about to recover all. This is your season of restoration. It is time to pursue, overtake and recover all!