Groundswell

“The Lord answered him, Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” -1 Samuel 30:8

What a time to be alive! Can you see the fields ripe for harvest? As I’ve been praying and thinking about what the Lord wants to do in 2023, this phrase keeps coming to me: “It’s time to take back the ground!” It’s time to take everything back the enemy has stolen from us over the last three years. What have you lost since March of 2020? On a personal level, perhaps you have lost your home, a job, health, a relationship or a family member. On a local level, some have lost a sense of community or their church or friends. For Americans, we have lost much on a national level in terms of politics and governance. How about with our health care system? Many have lost faith in the integrity of our doctors and mainstream medicine. Much has been lost. Since the world shut down, the enemy gained so much ground. It even appeared he was getting away with it. However, Jesus has the upper hand!

Just when it seemed like the evil elites were taking control with no check on their power, God intervened. Did you feel the shift? I noticed a turning of the tables in mid-November of 2022. Before that time, it appeared as if the enemy was winning, but suddenly, God revealed that he was in control. I felt the shift on a personal and a national level. It was greater than any one person or event. The Holy Spirit moved and the tide turned suddenly. Ever since November, I’ve seen breakthroughs happening left and right. People I have been praying for over decades are suddenly having changes of heart. Hidden secrets are being revealed. Loss of connection with people lasting for decades are being restored in a day. Promises are being fulfilled. God is on the move! Victory is here!

With this kind of momentum coming into the new year, I can clearly see the Lord wants us to partner with him to take back the ground and reclaim everything that has been stolen for his kingdom! The story of David at Ziklag keeps coming to mind. In 1 Samuel chapter 30, David and his band of men come back from battle to Ziklag, only to find their women and children taken into captivity and their homes burned (vs. 1-3). David and his men are deeply grieved (v. 4). In their great distress, David’s men turn against him and want to kill him (v. 6). In response, “David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them? The Lord answered him, Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all” (v. 8). David obeys the Lord and pursues his enemies (v. 9-10). He recovers all that was stolen: “Nothing was missing, small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken” (vs. 18-19). It is a powerful restoration story! David had the wisdom and courage to seek God when all seemed lost, and the Lord enabled him and his men to take it all back from their enemy. Just like David did, I believe the Lord wants us to seek him for restoration. Our enemy is on the run. Let’s charge! It’s time to pursue and recover all!

During my prayer time on January 22nd this year, I heard the Holy Spirit speak the word “groundswell” to me. I was only a little familiar with the word, so I looked up the definition later. Merriam-Webster.com says that groundswell is, “A rapid spontaneous growth (as of political opinion).” Other definitions from TheFreeDictionary.com are, “A sudden gathering of force, as of public opinion,” and “a strong public feeling or opinion that is detectable even though not openly expressed.” When I read these, I knew the Lord was showing me there is a groundswell happening in America for the kingdom of God. Already there is a massive movement of unity and love building rapidly from every corner of this nation among believers. A hunger is growing for righteousness, justice and restoration of Biblical values in The United States. This longing in our hearts is about to explode into the greatest move of God the world has ever seen. It may not be “openly expressed” on a wide scale just yet, but I believe it’s about to surface. Revival will spring up all across America and the world, and the movement will be seen by all. A groundswell to take back lost ground and restore all that’s been stolen will spring up quickly and overwhelm the opposition. Like wave after wave, it will inundate our nation with the gospel of Jesus and see mass salvations. The people will not stop until they see the nation restored to God’s intention and until it spills over into every other nation on earth. Can you see it? Can you hear God saying, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:19)?

Stop for a moment and think about where you have lost ground in your life. In what areas have you been robbed by the enemy? I encourage you to ask God to restore these areas of your life. Where have you seen Satan steal from your community, state or nation? I challenge you to boldly “approach God’s throne of grace” and ask the Father to restore it all (Hebrews 4:16). However, this is not a time to passively ask and let God do all the work. He wants us to pursue and recover all just as David did (1 Samuel 30:8-19). We must take the opportunities the Lord presents us with to get involved in the recovery process. This may look like starting a business, making a difficult phone call, running for office, writing a book, starting a ministry, loving your neighbor or simply speaking up and taking a stand for the truth. Whatever God calls you to do in this recovery effort, do it! Partner together in love and unity with other believers and watch God transform your family, city and nation. The groundswell of God’s kingdom is here. Let’s pursue our enemy and recover all! The ground belongs to King Jesus!

Sources:

“Groundswell Definition.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster Inc, 2023, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/groundswell.

“Groundswell Definition.” The Free Dictionary, Farlex, Inc, 2003-2023, https://www.thefreedictionary.com/groundswell#:~:text=%EE%80%80groundswell%EE%80%81%20%28%20%CB%88%C9%A1ra%CA%8And%CB%8Csw%C9%9Bl%29%20n%201.%20%28Physical%20Geography%29%20a,though%20not%20openly%20expressed%3A%20a%20%EE%80%80groundswell%EE%80%81%20of%20discontent.