By Dave Holland
The Air Force officer was discouraged when he entered his church last Sunday. Many things were going wrong and then thieves broke into his truck stealing a backpack full of military gear. His iPhone was also taken. So, the officer gave the situation to God and asked the Lord for a breakthrough, not realizing that a miracle was close at hand.
The Special OPS leader lives in the quiet calm of the Sunsail neighborhood in Destin with his wife and three children, but last Friday night their peace was stolen from them. The thieves stole his military backpack with essential medical equipment, his iPhone, and his sense of security. So, during worship at Life Impact Church, he called out to God for grace and God answered in the most unexpected way.
We live in the neighborhood where the officer lives and we are friends – his boys and their friend, widely known as the little “Rascals,” bring considerable energetic activity to our street and they’ve been known to drop by for ice cream from time to time. Later, on Sunday afternoon, it was quiet at our house until, wham! wham! wham came the pounding at our door, “We found it; we found Dad’s backpack in the woods behind the community pool. His phone was there too, and it still works! Those crooks must’ve ditched it.”
We were all unprepared for the crime-busting activities of these little “rascals,” – Will, (aged 10;) Alden (9) and Ollie (8) through their undaunting sense of adventure, recovered the officer’s stolen equipment. More importantly, the officer knew God had heard his call that morning and his joy was restored.
There is an old camp meeting song that says, “Well, I went to the enemy’s camp and I took back what he stole from me, took back what he stole from me, took back what stole from me.” The song is describing how the devil tries to steal your faith, steal your joy and steal your stuff.
I’m reminded of David and his 600 men who went off to battle. While they were away the enemy came and stole their belongings and their families. David sought the Lord and God led him to where the enemy had taken their loved ones. David and the men recovered what had been stolen handily that day because of God’s guidance. They went to the enemies’ camp and took back what had been stolen.
Sometimes you must rise up and call out to God for justice – stand in faith and recover what has been stolen. God is the Restorer of His people. He restores sinners and makes them sons and daughters. He reunites families and renews the discouraged. He can even use little rascals to do it.
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