Today, we continue our series entitled “Laser Focus,” emphasizing living with a Laser Focus on the Fixed Purpose God established for us before the world began.
(Proverbs 4:25 TPT)
Set your gaze on the path before you. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life’s distractions.
Scriptures for today:
(James 1:2-4 TPT)
2 My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can!
3 For you know that when your faith is tested, it stirs up power within you to endure all things.
4 And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.
(Ecc 3:1 ERV)
There is a right time for everything, and everything on earth will happen at the right time
(1 Samuel 16:21 NLT)
So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer.
Setting the stage. (Based on 1 Samuel 16:1-23)
After studying the life of Joseph for three months, we’ve been studying the life of David for two weeks. In this short amount of time, you have seen how the Bible introduced us to David. We don’t know much about his early years other than he was a shepherd boy. We know that he was Jesse’s son. His story is introduced to us in 1 Samuel 16 when the Lord rejected Saul. Once the Spirit of the Lord was no longer upon Saul for national leadership, the Lord moved upon the same prophet who anointed Saul to find and anoint David.
We saw how David was anointed without him asking for it or praying for it. We saw how it surprised him, but he fully embraced it. Then we saw how, after he tried to return to his everyday life, the Lord saw that he was quickly invited into the palace, allowed to play the harp for the king, and became the king’s armor bearer. It’s interesting to me that the tool that God used to get David the exposure he would ultimately need to be prepared to be the king was something that most people don’t talk about: the harp.
Of course, people talk about David killing the giant with a slingshot and a stone or about David as the ruling king. Some people like to talk about David and how he committed adultery with Bathsheba. But where we are in the story of David is where God took a young man and positioned him for his destiny. God used unusual ways to get him the exposure he needed to build the appetite in his heart to become the man he was destined to be. Let’s talk about that today.
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. God’s Sovereign Plan is Tailor-Made for You.
God has a divine blueprint for your life, crafted with precision and purpose before the world began. Just as He had a plan for David, He has one for you too! His sovereignty ensures that every detail of your journey is divinely orchestrated. Even when life throws you the unexpected, know that God is working behind the scenes, aligning your path with His glorious purpose.
How this applies to you:
— Trust in God’s perfect plan, even when you can’t see the big picture.
— Know that your trials are not punishments, but preparations.
— Seek God’s wisdom in every decision because He is eager to lead, guide, and direct you.
— Embrace life’s unexpected turns as divine setups for either a comeback or something new. In the case of David, his life was never the same. There was no going back.
— Rest assured, as a child of God, that His plan for you is good, pleasing, and perfect. Not only that, but it will unfold and manifest at just the right time.
2. God Uses Divine Exposure to Stir Up Your Spiritual Appetite.
This is something I learned from my Spiritual Father, Pastor Tony Brazelton.
God is strategic! He exposes you to experiences, people, and situations that will awaken a hunger in you for the things He destined you to do. Remember how David’s harp-playing opened doors to the palace? God needed David to go to the palace after he was anointed to be king so he could be EXPOSED to royalty! That’s how God works! He uses unique methods to position you for greatness, cultivating desires that align with your God-given purpose.
How this applies to you:
— Stay alert to new experiences God brings your way, knowing that they are not coincidences!
— Don’t underestimate your talents. God can use anything, even the seemingly mundane or unimportant, to catapult you to your destiny.
— Allow yourself to be stretched, for this is where growth happens. Many people miss out on God’s best simply because they are too “closed” to new opportunities. Keep your heart OPEN!
— Look back and see how God has been shaping your desires all along.
— Pray for spiritual discernment to recognize divine setups in your everyday life. The more you learn to discern the divine impulses of the Holy Spirit, the better positioned you will be to walk with God and experience His best for every season.
3. Embrace the Unexpected – It’s Often God’s Launching Pad.
Get ready! God often uses unconventional means to prepare you for your calling. Just like David’s musical ability became his path to the palace, your current situation might be the very tool God uses to propel you into your purpose. Don’t despise small beginnings – they’re often the first step to something huge!
How this applies to you:
— Stay open to opportunities, even if they seem unrelated to your perceived calling. God has a way of connecting the dots!
— Be faithful with your current skills, for God may use them (like He did with David’s harp) to get you into where you need to be for the future He planned.
— Remember, it’s all part of God’s overall plan. Every giant you face is preparing you for your throne.
— Look for ways to serve others now, the way David served Saul. When you serve another man’s vision, you are sowing seeds into your own. What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you!
— Thank God for it all! Trust that God can use any experience to further His plan for your life.
4. Developing a Holy Hunger for God’s Purpose.
As you taste and see that the Lord is good, you’ll develop an insatiable appetite for your divine calling. This growing hunger will drive you to pursue God’s will with passion and purpose. Like David’s journey from shepherd to armor-bearer to king; or Joseph’s journey from son to slave to prisoner to Prime Minister, your path may have several stops, each one increasing your desire for God’s ultimate plan.
How this applies to you:
— Make time to spend time with God. It is in God’s presence that you build a desire for His will.
— Pay attention to what sets your soul on fire for. This is often a clue to your calling. There are things you will be passionate about that others are not, simply because you are called to do something about it.
— Reflect on the moments when you felt the most alive. These may be indicators of what God has called you to do. Many times, this happens when you are exposed to something you are called to walk in. God uses this exposure to develop your appetite and hunger for it.
— Pray bold prayers for God to increase your hunger for His purpose. Ask God to give you the desire for the things He desires for you!
5. Trust the Process – God’s Preparation is Perfect.
God’s preparation process is no joke! He’ll expose you to experiences that stretch you to your limits, but it’s all part of the plan. Every situation, no matter how small, is shaping you for your kingdom assignment. Trust the process, even when it’s uncomfortable. That’s where the growth happens! If there is one thing we learned from studying the life of Joseph (and we will see this with David, too), it is that you must get comfortable with a certain level of discomfort.
How this applies to you:
— Embrace challenges head-on. See every obstacle as an opportunity.
— Stay patient in the waiting seasons. We have learned that God’s timing is always perfect.
— Extract the lesson from every experience, good or bad.
— Remember, God is more interested in your character than your comfort! I told you this before, but it is worth repeating.
— Stay faithful where you are. Your current position is the training ground for your promotion. Your NOW is preparing you for your NEXT!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I trust in Your sovereign plan for my life, knowing You’ve crafted it perfectly just for me.
I open my heart to the divine exposures You’re orchestrating, recognizing they’re shaping my spiritual appetite.
I embrace unexpected opportunities, believing they’re Your launching pad for my destiny.
I am developing an unquenchable thirst for Your will in my life.
I declare that I’m alert to and aware of Your divine setups. I sense the divine impulses of the Holy Spirit.
I boldly pursue the passions You’ve placed in my heart, knowing they are taking me to my ultimate purpose.
I rest in the assurance that Your timing is flawless and Your plan for me is good, pleasing, and perfect.
Living this way, I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. AMEN!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
