THE TURNING POINT: Spiritual Encouragement and Guidance
Teach me your way, LORD, so that I can walk in your truth. Make my heart focused only on honoring your name.
Psalm 86:11
Each time I place my fingers on the keyboard, I must wait upon the Lord and linger in His presence; otherwise, it's just a blank page. The Father teaches us how to develop patient endurance, which is active with anticipatory hope.
Today, the Holy Spirit simply said, "STAND."
: arise, stand up
: to remain firm, stand on God's strength
: a halt for defense or resistance, standstill
You will keep your footing if you keep your eyes on Jesus.
Remain steadfast and strong, entirely putting your trust in the Lord. You are a wise man who built your house on the rock of Jesus. "The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock" (Matthew 7:25).
It's been a tough week for many people and some of you are heartsick. Dreams were dashed. Fear has overwhelmed some people, and a sense of uncertainty is on the horizon. However, even then, you must trust that God has a plan, and none of this caught Him by surprise. He’s sovereign. God knows everything before it happens and He even orchestrates situations to align with His perfect will. That defeat might have been Him aligning you for something even better.
The Lord is building your spiritual muscles.
He’s teaching you what it really means to wait. He’s putting the right people in your life to walk into victory together.
This is the turning point.
There are two paths to take.
One will satisfy your flesh, but it's loaded with attacks you cannot see. There are land mines that way. The other path is much narrower and leads to eternal life. A Shepherd will guide you through streams of living water and you can rest in green pastures.
You get the choice.
The shaking is here, but hope is still on the horizon.
Even when you can't see, you must still believe and rest in the arms of Jesus. He will take it from here, beloved.
Once the wind calms and the water recedes -- rebuilding will begin.
Stand strong.
There's a Fourth Man in the fire, and His name is Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. You are fireproof.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (TPT)
We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust Him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously.
Today the Lord brought me to the story of David in 1 Samuel 27 when fear overwhelmed his faith. Israel’s future king was mentally drained and had reached rock bottom. For a season, he stopped praying and seeking guidance from the Lord. The lesson to learn here is how quickly sin and consequences can take over one's life, even those protected by the grace of God.
The Lord is saying to someone: TAKE A STAND. It's either His way or the world’s way, but you must make a decision.
One chapter earlier, David decided to spare king Saul's life in a cave because he knew that judgment belonged to the Lord. This was a wise decision, and you'd think it would have re-strengthened David's trust in the Lord – but fear once again gripped David's soul.
1 Samuel 27:1
David said to his heart, 'One of these days, I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand"
These are the words spoken by a tired soldier in Christ. He even grew tired of trying. He was tired of trusting God. It felt like nothing would ever change. At this point, David had been fleeing from that crazy lunatic Saul for about eight years!
David was anointed as king by God, but there was still a process that had to be completed. God's timing never makes sense with ours. God had protected him the entire time, but David was downright weary.
It was a turning point.
When we get to a place where all hope is lost, we must not allow despair to linger and, instead, go straight to the Father with our pain. David did the complete opposite and fled from the Lord.
The Bible says, "David said to his heart..."
David didn't speak about his disappointment to God, rather, to his heart. What we speak to our hearts really does matter. In times of defeat, we can't trust our emotions or thoughts because they will deceive us. We have to pray without ceasing. We must meditate day and night on the Word of God because He never changes. Fear overtook the mighty man of valor.
David became so discouraged that he moved to the land of idol worship (and Israel’s enemies) in Philistine country for a year and four months. He abandoned the land of promise and left behind God's chosen nation to join the ungodly. He plummeted into a pit of despair because of fear.
1 Samuel 27:4 – "Word soon reached Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he stopped hunting for him."
At this point, we don't see God intervene at any point the entire time. David received temporary relief because Saul stopped pursuing him, but it came with dire consequences.
David sought relief in enemy territory like so many of us when we are overwhelmed with hopelessness and discouragement. Soul wounds are very real. David actually sought refuge in Gath, the former home of the giant Goliath that he once slayed!
It was a turning point.
The king there gave David the town of Ziklag, which became his home base, and David raided other Canaanite territories during that year-and-a-half stay.
Philistia (land of ‘wanderers’) was a temporary place of relief but it was riddled with a society of idol worship. David stopped praying to the Lord, and it appears that no psalms were written during this time. David and his fellow bandits started robbing for profit and looting villages. They did it all without God’s direction or approval.
How come God didn’t stop the behavior? David was the Lord's chosen king, so why didn’t He intercede earlier? The first reason is the Lord gives us free will to choose. There are some lessons that are best learned through experience. Eventually something will wake us up to get back on the right track. The Lord’s master plan is still at work.
There are some seasons where heartbreak and frustration launch the turning point. When everything else fails, God still stands.
Secondly, we learn that God can still redeem and restore people who make poor decisions. We remember how mightily we need God's grace – and direction. Lastly, this situation with David points to the perfection of King Jesus. David was a warrior in the faith, yet he didn't come anywhere close to Christ.
David's repeated fearful thoughts of what could happen contradicted God's promises. He knew the Lord had an extraordinary calling for his life, but after years on the run and fighting relentlessly, he'd grown disillusioned and discouraged. This whole journey to the throne was much more than he expected. It was lengthy and burdensome, and God's timing vastly differed from David's plans.
Disillusionment is a feeling of disappointment because something turns out differently than you expected. You feel bummed out. You're defeated in expectation and hope. You become greatly discouraged, resulting in a lack of passion.
This is how someone with great talents or skills can eventually become apathetic in the workplace, mission field, or life. The constant resistance and opposition wears a person down. They start to wonder if it’s really worth it all? They start to withdraw, hide and forget who they really are. A bold and vivacious person then becomes a shell of themselves. It can even look like depression, but it's not because God is strengthening their soul the entire time. The opposition and resistance is fortifying them. God is teaching them about the refiner's fire. If one can withstand and endure the heat, a butterfly will emerge from the cocoon.
The key is to wait upon the Lord. David did not. He made a rash decision and bolted to enemy territory because of his intense despair and fear.
David hid in the Philistine country for 16 months. God wants a different path for you. This is your wake-up call before the heartache becomes too much. The Lord has sent me today to tell someone -- IT WILL GET BETTER. TRUST HIM.
We all have Sauls in our life, who are people and situations that the evils of darkness work through to get you into a place of defeat. Remember, Jesus, Himself said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…" (John 10:10).
The enemy wants to steal your peace and courage because he already knows the greatness inside you.
Satan wants to steal the mandate God has spoken over your life because he knows it will impact the kingdom of God. His strategy is to covertly make you doubt God and yourself to destroy all hope. He's after your self-esteem and unique personality and wants you to fit in with the crowd -- not stand out. Jesus made you different on purpose and He always wins. He brings life to the full.
The enemy wants you tired so that you give up and stop fighting. The second your mind succumbs to defeat, all systems go haywire. God needs your spirit strong first, then emotions and the physical healing will follow. You must endure!
God is going to use all your unique talents and your heart to change lives. So dry your tears because better days are ahead! God's Word is always the standard for Truth. Jesus has already defeated Satan by His love for us. WE ARE WINNERS!!!
While studying the life of David during his “bad boy” era, I was curious about what made David eventually return to the Father. I expected the Lord to come down with a loud voice and tell His chosen servant to come back into His arms. That's not what happened.
God sent rejection.
Rejection hits our pride like an arrow to the heart. It keeps us meek and humble and we remember that it's impossible to serve God and the world’s systems. It was the Philistine leaders who actually objected to David's presence and God was using them to provoke David. At first they welcomed David because he was the top warrior and everyone was against Saul. They eventually wanted him sent back.
The Philistine commanders demanded, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” (1 Samuel 29:3)
Yeah, David, what are you doing there?! Even the opposition knew you were out of place! The Philistines became concerned that David would switch sides in the middle of war and stab them in the back. So they wanted him gone.
Man's rejection really is God's protection! What's wild is that David even asked, "What have I done wrong?" It appeared he was really going to fight God’s chosen nation, but the Lord wouldn’t allow it to get that far. Here we see God’s providence and divine protection at work.
The Lord is saying to someone today: "What are you doing here?" He's set you up for something life-changing and called you to be different and set apart from the culture, so what will you do? Choose a path. Choose this day whom you will serve. God can use rejection to squeeze out the ungodly people in your life. God can use defeat and despair to get you in alignment with His purposes and plans. The Lord really does care about our character and He doesn’t want His people tainted. Sometimes we toe the line and dabble in some Jesus but then mix in a little bit of the world. We proclaim God, but don’t actually live for Him in this place. There’s a difference between knowing of God and intimately having a relationship with Him that is alive and active.
Lukewarmness is the very worst place for any child of God.
We can either serve God or the culture’s viewpoint — but not both!!!
Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The Lord Jesus Christ addressed this very issue at the church at Laodicea when He delivered a word through an angel. The people had material wealth but needed spiritual richness.
As we move forward, it’s important that we really reflect on the words of Jesus. It’s a prophetic declaration to God’s people.
Please don’t skip this part!!!
Christ’s Letter to Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22, TPT)
I know all that you do, and I know that you are neither frozen in apathy nor fervent with passion. How I wish you were either one or the other! But because you are neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm, I am about to spit you from my mouth [this is not a complete rejection, but a reprimand to return to the Lord with passion and true allegiance]. For you claim, “I’m rich and getting richer—I don’t need a thing.” Yet you are clueless that you’re miserable, poor, blind, barren, and naked!
So I counsel you to purchase gold perfected by fire, so that you can be truly rich. Purchase a white garment to cover and clothe your shameful Adam-nakedness. Purchase eye salve to be placed over your eyes so that you can truly see. All those I dearly love I unmask and train. So repent and be eager to pursue what is right.
Behold, I’m standing at the door, knocking. If your heart is open to hear my voice and you open the door within, I will come in to you and feast with you, and you will feast with me. And to the one who conquers I will give the privilege of sitting with me on my throne, just as I conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. The one whose heart is open let him listen carefully to what the Spirit is saying now to the churches.
Only Jesus can give true vision. We must flee from lukewarmness.
In 1 Samuel 30, David was at his lowest. He had bottomed out, and now it was time to rise, but this time it would be God's way.
David learned a valuable lesson — God's amazing grace does not mean we are protected from the consequences of sin. Like a loving Father, the Lord will do everything possible to get His children aligned, and it might hurt. The pleasures of the world are short-lived. Evil always comes home to roost.
So David was forced to pack up and leave the Philistine territory.
David returned to Ziklag with his fighting men to get their families and chaos awaited! The entire place had been raided and burned down by the Amalekites! All the women and children were taken into captivity. It was the very wake-up call David needed. The Bible says, "Now it so happened…" signaling a divine plan by the hand of God. David and his men “wept until they had no more power to weep" (v. 4). When we cry from our soul, it connects us to the Father.
After going silent in David's narrative for over a year, God returns to the scene.
The shift takes place.
"David strengthened himself in the LORD his God…" (1 Samuel 30:6)
Now it's time to do something with that strength.
This is the turning point.
WORDS OF HOPE
God loves you so very much. He wants you to understand Him as a Father and together you will go deeper this season. This will be a new kind of love-relationship, but it will change your life. Trust your King.
When we are weak, God will make us strong. As soon as we release our fears, He will care for us.
In God's perfect timing, you will find comfort, peace, encouragement and hope again. Jesus will renew your strength. He will ignite your dreams again and shoot you forth to go forward with a new boost of courage.
Keep moving forward. In the Bible, "to go" means TO LIVE.
We all have “spiders” in our lives like Saul, which represent people who release poison and try to spin you into a web of deceit so that you can't move. They think, "Because I can't win, I don't want others to either…." The Spirit of God inside you rattles them. The light makes them uncomfortable. The poison comes from a place of spite, jealousy and envy. They try to get even through malicious slander and false accusations. They thrive on gossip. Just be you, anyway! God will have the final say. Any enemy of yours is an enemy of the Living God, so just like with David, allow the Lord to fight your battles. Hold thy peace. Someday we’ll all have to stand face-to-face with the Living God and stand accountable for our actions. The Father sees and hears everything. We serve a God of justice. Our lives are precious in the eyes of the Lord Jesus and that is enough.
For someone else: you are released from the fear of failure the second you speak to God about the matter. He will bring deliverance. The Lord will bring the promise someday soon; even though it tarries, wait for it. It shall come to pass. God will do it His way and with His timing. Keep going. Spend time recovering with Jesus and then prepare for your next stage. The Lord is going to renew your strength in ways you never thought possible.
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).
The second you put your dreams or desires on the altar, God will align them with His visions and plans for your life. The pain has a purpose. You will be a living testimony of hope to teach others to persevere amid all odds. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life" (Proverbs 13:12).
My love, you're so dearly cherished by the Father. He's protecting and providing for you in this hour. Do not be afraid anymore. The Prince of Peace is here. You are safe and secure.
When our faith falters or grows weak, or when we face something that seems to overpower us, it's essential to ask God for more faith. In our weakness, His power makes us strong. Pray for more faith. Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23)
You must do the work. Put your hand on the plow again.
Bad fruit: arrogance, pride, resentment, bitterness, entitlement, slander, false humility, jealousy, anger.
Good fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
God is knocking. He's been knocking since you were a young child, and He won't stop knocking until you fully open the door to Him. Will you feed His sheep?
The first domino is about to fall and then the rest will flow one after another. Where the enemy has fought you the hardest, God will bless you the most. Right now, YIELD. Surrender, submit and give way to God.
In closing, perhaps one of the saddest moments in the Bible is the realization that Saul was actually anointed and chosen by God to be the king. He had so many gifts and talents. He’d been elevated to high places. However, he chased after the applause of people, which was his downfall. He cared more about what people thought than God, which was his life's turning point. The pursuit of external validation destroyed him. His life was steeped in pride and even false humility. Pride in the name of God is still pride. Saul's pride was a slow-burning fuse that hurt many people, becoming a fatal bomb.
Saul had the chance to be a mighty leader, but he blew his big opportunity. He always blamed others and played the victim role in denying his guilt.
Greed and thirst for power are dangerous. It leads to destruction and sadly, so many Christians start their walks in uprightness and purity, and then they succumb to the pressure and applause. My friend, please resist the desire to put your trust in possessions, talents, looks, wealth, or worldly ambitions. It will all fall short. We can only put our trust in Jesus because everything else will fade.
Saul blew his calling because he wanted to please people way more than please the Father. He also tried to cut down others through intimidation.
In contrast, David was a man after God's heart. He wasn't perfect and made mistakes, but when confronted with sin, David confessed his fault, repented with a genuine heart and sought forgiveness. David truly loved the Lord. He was a spiritual all-star who honored God and did not kill Saul because he trusted Yahweh's decisions. King David was a remarkable man who was humble, selfless and full of many talents and once he got straight — God restored everything and more. David learned to “dance before the Lord with all his might” (2 Samuel 6:14) because he knew what it meant to fall and get back up again.
A heart for Jesus always wins.
He's the Champion.
The Trophy. The Victor's Crown.
WE ARE WINNERS!!!
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and love shall follow me all the days of my life. I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever" (Psalm 23:4-6).
