Note: First of all, I want to say that I am thankful for being back and also thankful for taking a break. I needed it. Rest is spiritual. Please make sure you make time for rest. Also, our Back to School Drive was a success. 750 families were impacted. THANK YOU to all who donated. Now, let’s get into the message.
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 17:37-40)
Before I took my break, we learned that after 40 days of a stalemate, because no one in the Israeli Army had the courage to fight Goliath, David was given the opportunity to represent Israel in the fight. So after taking over a month’s worth of berating and after dealing with the frustration of the situation and the fear of becoming slaves to the Philistines, King Saul put the future of the nation in the hands of a teenager. But this was not just any teenager; this was a teenager empowered by the grace of God, a teenager who had killed a lion and a bear with his bare hands, a teenager who God had recently anointed to take Saul’s throne; a teenager who was not afraid of the giant; a teenager who was looking through the lens of faith, speaking the language of faith, with complete confidence in his God.
After David promised, in a convincing manner, to kill the Philistine pig (Goliath), King Saul said, “Go. And the Lord be with you!” Saul probably did not know it, but there was power in acknowledging that the Lord would be with David to bring the victory through David’s hands by His grace.
After giving David the authority to represent the nation, King Saul also gave David his own armor. Most Soldiers had body armor, but David, a shepherd boy, was no Soldier, so he did not. It would have been a privilege to wear the personal armor of the king into battle. This would be like a Private in today’s Army, wearing the uniform of the Commanding General. David put it on, strapped Saul’s sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it felt like. After a few moments, David said, “I can’t go in this, I’m not used to it.”
David took the armor off and gave it back to the king. David then picked up five smooth stones from a nearby stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff, the five stones, and a slingshot, David walked across the valley to fight the Philistine giant. I can only imagine the scene. A king and his Army stand as a teenage shepherd wanders into a valley to face a giant armed with nothing but a slingshot and a few rocks, and their future is in his hands. It’s a good thing that David’s future was in God’s hands! We will stop here for today.
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Enter into God’s Rest.
If you are frustrated because you are trying very hard to get God to move in your life, then that is the problem – you are trying too hard. When you allow yourself to be led by God, you simply go where He leads you and you do so by His grace, for His glory. David was led to fight Goliath and since he was doing what the Lord was leading him to do, he did not have to force the door to open. Through grace and favor, David quickly got an audience with the king and received the approval to represent the nation. Although David appreciated the offer to wear the king’s armor, he took it off when he did not feel comfortable with it. He was not worried, and he did not attempt to make anything happen. He was resting in who he was and what the Lord was leading him to do. You would do well in learning to do the same.
How this applies to you:
— Stop striving and start resting in God’s grace.
— Many Christians are battling depression because they are striving to make things happen when they should be resting in what God has made happen for them.
— Trust that when you’re in God’s will, doors will open naturally. The favor of God will go before you and open doors no man can close.
— Don’t force situations or try to make things happen in your own strength.
— Be comfortable with who God made you to be, not who others expect you to be.
— Learn to recognize and follow God’s leading in your life.
2. Operate in your own grace.
You don’t have the grace of others, and they don’t have yours. Saul might have had the grace to fight with armor, but David felt no pressure to look or attempt to fight like anyone else. David stepped into that valley dressed like a shepherd because he was graced to be a shepherd. And since he was operating in his own grace, The Blessing flowed. The Blessing will not flow when you attempt to be someone the Lord has not called you to be. So: 1) know who God has called you to be, and 2) operate in that grace.
How this applies to you:
— Embrace your unique calling and gifting from God.
— You only have the grace to be YOU, so knowing who you are and what you are called to do is paramount.
— Resist the temptation to compare yourself to others or imitate their methods.
— Don’t allow the fear of what others will think to cause you to operate outside of your grace (David refused to put on armor to look like a Soldier when he knew he had the grace to be a shepherd. He walked into the valley looking like a shepherd, because that is what he had the grace to be).
— I have often told you that the anointing only flows through the authentic. Recognize that God’s blessing will not flow when you are attempting to be someone He did not call you to be.
— Far too many Christians operate outside of their grace because of the fear and opinions of men. They care more about what people will think than what God said. David did not have this problem!
— Take time to discover and understand your God-given identity and purpose.
— Have the courage to be different and walk in the grace specific to your calling.
3. You only have grace for your assignment.
God gives you the grace you need for the specific assignment He has given you. Just as David had the grace to face Goliath with a slingshot and stones, you have been equipped with the exact measure of grace needed for your divine purpose. Don’t try to operate in someone else’s assignment or with their tools. Embrace the unique grace God has given you for your specific calling.
How this applies to you:
— Focus on fulfilling your own God-given assignment, not someone else’s.
— Trust that God has given you all the grace you need for your specific calling.
— Don’t feel inadequate when your methods differ from others; your grace is tailor-made.
— To be the man/woman God has called you to be, you must muster up the courage to be different.
— Recognize that stepping outside of your assignment may lead to frustration and failure because you chose to operate outside your grace.
— Regularly seek God’s guidance to ensure you’re walking in your assigned purpose. If you listen, the Holy Spirit will give you course corrections when you go astray.
4. You have all the grace you need to do what God has called you to do!
God is not a partial provider. When He calls you to a task, He equips you fully for it. You may feel inadequate or ill-prepared, but remember that God’s grace is sufficient. Like David, who seemed outmatched against Goliath, you have been divinely equipped to face your giants and fulfill your purpose.
How this applies to you:
— Trust in God’s complete provision for your calling, even when you feel inadequate. God’s grace is always enough!
— Step out in faith, knowing that God’s grace will sustain you in your assignment.
— Resist self-doubt and instead meditate on and re-affirm yourself in God’s grace (empowerment) for your assignment.
— Embrace challenges as opportunities to see God’s grace at work through you.
— Regularly thank God for His all-sufficient grace that enables you to fulfill your purpose.
— Remind yourself daily that God’s grace is on you and His grace is sufficient.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I enter into Your rest, ceasing from my own striving and trusting fully in Your grace.
I embrace the unique calling You have placed on my life, refusing to compare myself to others.
I recognize and operate within the specific grace You have given me for my divine assignment.
I declare that I have all the grace I need to accomplish what You have called me to do.
I step out in faith, knowing that Your power is made perfect in my weakness.
I trust in Your complete provision for my calling, even when I feel inadequate.
I resist self-doubt and affirm Your empowerment in my life each day.
I embrace challenges as opportunities to see Your grace at work through me.
I thank You for Your all-sufficient grace that enables me to fulfill my purpose.
GREATER IS COMING FOR ME as I face my giants and walk in victory by Your grace and for Your glory!
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I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. AMEN!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
