Get It Back

“When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.” - Genesis 14:14-16
 
 
In the movie “Ransom” starring Mel Gibson, the plot centers around his character’s effort to negotiate the return of his son who has been kidnapped by an anonymous group of criminals who want some of his cash. They demand that in exchange for receiving his son, they want $2 million. At first, he is willing to pay the money, but a series of strange events caused him to change his mind and to conclude this nefarious group of evildoers have no intentions of returning his son alive.
 
He devises a thoughtful plan to get his son back by turning the tables on them. He does so by going on national television and offering a ransom on those who were trying to extort him. He turns the bounty that he had been offered on his son, into a bounty for the kidnappers.  
 
We watch as this father, desperate and determined to get back the son he loves, reclaims his joy, restores his peace, and reconnects with the one thing that means the most to him. It is an interesting cinematic tale of what many people are after. Many people all around us have lost something very dear to them (joy, happiness, peace, wealth, wellness, love) and they struggle with what to do about it. Life has sapped them of that which brings them fulfillment, satisfaction, and happiness. But by the grace of God and through His Son Jesus, we don’t have to live in that state of lack anymore.  
 
Are you missing something you once had? It could be a physical possession, an emotion, a connection, or any number of things. God does not intend for you to lose the things you need the most. He is a loving God who wants the best for you. In the passage above we see what happens when Abram is robbed, and how he goes to take back what the enemy stole. We can do the same with God’s help—take back what the devil is trying to steal from us.  
 
It doesn’t have to be a son, or even money. If you have lost something, fight to get it back. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you as you seek to take back your joy, your peace, your comfort, your desire to know God better. Those are all good things to want, and God will renew those desires as you seek Him.