ww os Se NS 10. 11. Contents The Hope of Recovery The Lesson of the Axe Head David's Virst Loss David's Second Loss David's Third Loss Lass: Its Cause, Effect and Cure Obedience A Secret of Recovery Some Reasons for Loss David's Fourth Loss Secrets af Recovery God's Divine Laws ‘The Secret of Power with God a 17 39 49 58 69 84 90 106 116Chapter 1 THE HOPE OF RECOVERY {1 Samuel 30) DAVID and his men had suffered a great and heavy loss. All their houses had been burnt down and their women and children and possessions had been taken captive by the Amalekites. Their loss was so great that even though they were strong men, they all began to weep loudly. Women can weep at any time and anywhere, and nobody will question them. They can weep in the morning or mid-day or evening! They can weep in the bus or train, on the platform or outside it, and any number of times during the day and nobody will say: Why are you weeping so much? But when men start weeping, there must be a very serious reason. Here were strong military men weeping, so much and so loudly that they had no more tears to shed (vs. 4). Their tears were all dried up, their throats were hot, and their heads were aching, so much so that they could not weep any more. So great was their loss, and, humanly speaking, beyond all hope of recovery.In the same chapter, however, we read that by God's help and grace, they recovered all that they had lost and much more beside. They recovered so much that they were able te pay all the debts that they had incurred during the previous years. Wherever they had been during those years they had been unable to pay for their food and lodging. Whether they stayed in a place for a few days or months or for a longer time they had been given shelter and food. We see in the Scriptures that David had kept a record of the kindness shown to him. There were many good men who had given him dhal and fowl and mutton. He knew who had given him fresh food and who had given him stale food. Verses 27 to 31 give a list of the places where he had stayed, and verse 31 shows that wherever he had stayed, whether for a few days or for a longer time, he now sent gifts to acknowledge kindness shown, and to pay back his debts. We all feel sad when we lose anything, and all of us have lost something, somewhere and at sometime or other. Some have wept because of what they have lost. Some have lost their keys or fountain pens, or have forgotten their umbrellas. Others have lost their bedding in the train, or have forgotten their wrist watches! Whatever the loss may be it makes us feel very sad, bul if and whenever we recover such lost things we are filled with joy. It is a peculiar joy to recover what we have lust, and especially when there has been no hope of recovery, Some time ago one brother in Hebron was given a sum of Rs. 130 te pay a telephone bill and he kept the 4