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
Setting the Stage. (Based on 1 Samuel 17:32-37)
Yesterday, we learned that after 40 days of taunting, when not one of Saul’s Soldiers had the courage to face Goliath, David, a sheep-watching harp-playing teenager, said to the king, “Master, don’t give up hope. I’m ready to go and fight this Philistine.” We already know Saul loved David and enjoyed having him around. David was the only person who could bring Saul comfort when he was being tormented by the evil spirit, but Saul did not see David as a warrior. Saul answered David, “You can’t go and fight this Philistine. You’re too young and inexperienced—and he’s been at this fighting business since before you were born.” Remember, this was the king speaking. The king of Israel basically told David that he was still ‘wet behind the ears‘ and far too inexperienced to fight a seasoned warrior like Goliath. But David was undeterred. He replied, “I’ve been a shepherd, tending sheep for my father. Whenever a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I’d go after it, knock it down, and rescue the lamb. If it turned on me, I’d grab it by the throat, wring its neck, and kill it. Lion or bear, it made no difference—I killed it. And I’ll do the same to this Philistine pig who is taunting the troops of God-Alive. God, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine.” Wow. David had unwavering confidence in God, and that confidence helped him persuade Saul. The king said, “Go. And the Lord be with you!“
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. You will have to overcome discouragement along the way.
David had to ignore the discouragement of both his brother and King Saul. Eliab thought he was there for the wrong reasons, and Saul thought he was not up to the task, but David had to be settled, in his own heart, with who he was, what he was able to do, and why he was doing what he was doing.
How this applies to you:
— Be prepared to face discouragement, even from those close to you.
— While the discouragement may sting, you must remain focused on God’s calling for your life, regardless of the opinions of others.
— Develop a strong sense of identity based on God’s view of you, not others’. You must know who you are and what you are called to do.
— Remember that God’s grace empowers you beyond others’ expectations.
— Use discouragement as an opportunity to reaffirm your commitment to God’s purpose.
— Don’t let others’ limitations become your own.
— Trust in the grace of God that is on your life, even when others can’t see it.
— Like David, be willing to stand alone in your convictions if necessary.
2. God wants you to be fearless.
The entire army of Israel was afraid of the giant. King Saul himself was terrified. But a little shepherd boy, anointed by God, did the seemingly impossible.
How this applies to you:
— Recognize that fear is often the biggest giant you face. The greatest war you have to win is the war within.
— Understand that God’s grace empowers you to be fearless in the face of challenges.
— Remember that your confidence should be in God, not in your own abilities.
— Choose to focus on God’s power rather than the size of your problems.
— Allow God’s perfect love to cast out all fear in your life.
— Step out in faith, knowing that God’s grace is sufficient for every challenge.
— Like David, see your challenges through God’s perspective, not the world’s.
— The longer you walk with God, the more you should build up a fearless faith that enables you to tackle the ‘giants’ in your life.
3. It is important to establish some altars in your life.
Whenever God did something mighty for the nation of Israel, they established an altar to serve as a reminder of what God did. David had mental altars established that provided him with the encouragement he needed for this fight.
How this applies to you:
— Actively remember and celebrate God’s past faithfulness in your life.
— Create ‘mental altars’ – vivid memories of God’s interventions and blessings.
— When you remember what God has done in the past, it helps you to look back and look forward with confidence.
— Use these ‘altars’ as sources of encouragement during challenging times.
— Regularly reflect on how God’s grace has manifested in your life.
— Share your testimonies with others to strengthen their faith as well. Also, know that as you minister to them with stories of what God has done for you, just recalling the stories will help you build up your faith as well.
— Past wins to build your confidence for future challenges.
— Like David, draw strength from remembering how God has helped you before.
— Use your ‘altars of past wins’ to reinforce your trust in God’s unchanging nature and His faithfulness in the present.????????????????
4. Your past experiences have prepared you for your current challenges.
David’s experiences as a shepherd, facing lions and bears, had unknowingly prepared him for his confrontation with Goliath. God often uses our past to prepare us for our future.
How this applies to you:
— Recognize that God has been preparing you for your current challenges through your past experiences. He has been preparing you all your life.
— Draw strength and confidence from the victories God has already given you in life.
— Understand that every challenge you overcome is building your faith and preparing you for greater assignments.
— Don’t discount your experiences, no matter how insignificant they may seem. God can use them all.
— Trust that God’s grace has been with you all along, even in situations you didn’t recognize as preparation. Looking back, you will see that He was preparing you when you did not even know it.
— Remember that God’s grace is sufficient not only for your present but has been working in your past to prepare you for your future.
— Like David, be ready to recount how God has helped you in the past when facing new giants in your life.????????????????
— The only reason why David was ready to kill a giant when everyone was watching was because he was faithful to killing a lion and a bear when no one was watching. This teaches us to be faithful in our today, no matter how seemingly insignificant, because it is preparing us for our tomorrow!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for Your amazing grace that empowers me to face and overcome every challenge in my life.
I declare that Your approval matters more than any discouragement I may face from others.
My identity is rooted in You, not in the opinions or expectations of others.
By Your grace, I stand fearless before the giants in my life, knowing that You are greater than any obstacle.
I choose to remember and celebrate the ‘altars of past wins’ I have erected in my heart.
I draw strength in my present from Your faithfulness in my past.
Your grace has been preparing me all my life!
I am confident that the same God who delivered me then will surely deliver me now.
I look back to look forward, and I boldly declare, GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!
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I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. AMEN!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
