October 17, 2026
Strengthened to Pursue
Dr. Eric Thomas
The Message
The One Thing
When life falls apart all at once — the way it did for David at Ziklag — the answer isn't to process it with everyone you know or power through it on your own. Strengthen yourself in the Lord first, ask His permission before you move, then ask Him directly whether to pursue — and wait for Him to say go.
The video opens at the start of the message.
STRENGTHENED TO PURSUE
This Week's Message
What He Said
Strengthen yourself in the Lord first
Before you call anyone, vent to anyone, or try to fix anything, get encouraged. Don't let your circumstances control you; let God control the circumstance.
1 Samuel 30:6
Get permission before you move
David called for the ephod before he acted. Most of our stress comes from decisions we made in the flesh and only asked God to bless afterward, instead of asking Him first.
1 Samuel 30:7
Inquire of the Lord — then wait for the answer
Two questions: "Shall I pursue?" and "Shall I overtake them?" God isn't a co-signer on a plan you already made; He's the author and the finisher. Ask, then move only when He says go.
1 Samuel 30:8
We've Been Planning This For You
ET opens by naming that this message isn't an accident: three strategies, straight from the word, not invented, built specifically to help you fight back before — not after — your life falls apart.
David Was Greatly Distressed (1 Samuel 30:6)
The full weight of it: David's camp was burned to the ground, his wives and children taken captive, and his own men — grieving their own families — turned on him and talked openly of stoning him. Not one problem. Several, compounding, all at once.
Strategy 1 — Strengthen Yourself in the Lord
The first move, before any other move: get encouraged. David didn't let the circumstance control him; he let God control the circumstance. Whatever news you just got, go to God with it first — before you call, text, or post.
What Not To Do: Processing Is Gossiping
The lion-and-alligator picture: a lion wins on land, but an alligator wins once it drags the lion into the water — its own territory. The same way, "processing" that's really venting (recruiting other people to agree with you) drags you into the devil's territory. Check your motive: are you seeking clarity, or building a jury?
Strategy 2 — Get Permission (1 Samuel 30:7)
Before David moved, he called for the ephod. Most of what's stressing us out is a decision we made in the flesh and only asked God to bless afterward — a relationship, a job, a post — instead of asking Him first.
Strategy 3 — Inquire of the Lord (1 Samuel 30:8)
Two direct questions: "Shall I pursue?" and "Shall I overtake them?" God is not a co-signer on your plan; He's the author and the finisher of it. He answered David plainly: "Pursue... thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all."
It's Not What You Go Through, It's Who You Go Through It With
ET's own testimony, used briefly and in general terms: he's walked through real, life-altering crises of his own — including losing his home to a tornado — and the lesson held every time: the outcome depends on who you go through it with, not the size of the loss.
The Story Doesn't End at the Fire
Three days later, David recovered everything he'd lost. The devastating scene in the middle of 1 Samuel 30 is not where the story ends. Concentrate on your ending, not your middle — the middle is not the whole story.
Do Not Just Read It
This Week's Assignment
This week, every time something falls apart, stop before you call, text, or vent to anyone — go to God first, ask His permission, and ask Him for direction before you move.
0 of 5 done this week
Monday
Name What Fell Apart
What's the "burned-down city" in your life right now — the thing (or things) that hit all at once? Write it down honestly, then write one thing you know is true about God in the middle of it.
1 Samuel 30:6
Tuesday
Check Your Motive
Think of something you've been "processing" with other people lately. Were you seeking clarity, or recruiting agreement? What would it look like to take it to God instead?
Philippians 4:8
Wednesday
Ask Permission First
Name one decision you're about to make — or already made — without asking God first. Go back and ask Him now.
1 Samuel 30:7
Thursday
The Two Questions
Take whatever you're facing right now and actually ask God: "Should I pursue this?" and "If I do, will it work?" Write down what you sense Him saying.
1 Samuel 30:8
Friday
Your Ending, Not Your Middle
Where do you need to stop staring at your "middle" and start trusting God for how this ends?
Romans 8:28
The full message, edited for reading, with the slides built in.
GET ENCOURAGED.
The Word
ASK FIRST.
Your Move This Week
PURSUE.
Arise and Build