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 18:5 NLT)
Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike.
Setting the Stage.
In chapter 17, we saw how, just after David cut Goliath’s head off, King Saul reached over to the commander of his army, General Abner (who was clearly not in command that day), and asked, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” The General did not know and was charged with finding out. General Abner met David and ushered him back to the king. As Abner brought David before Saul, the head of the giant was still dangling from his fingers, and blood must have still been dripping from its neck as they stood there. Imagine the scene for a minute. Abner is a battle-tested General who had no doubt led his men in combat. However, General Abner and his men had been paralyzed in fear of the giant for 40 long days. Next to the General was a kid who did not fear Goliath and stood in front of them with the head to prove it. This same kid, David, had instilled courage in the army of Israel that day, and his actions led to a great military victory for the nation. General Abner did not know it, but this kid would soon become his replacement.
Yesterday, we learned that David was invited to live with King Saul, and he established a covenant relationship with Prince Jonathan. Our text today tells us that whatever the king asked David to do, he was able to do it successfully. This reminds me of Joseph. Grace and favor were in operation in Joseph’s life, and it is clear that they were also in operation in David’s life. One day, David was out in the field, tending sheep, going about his life as normal, knowing that God had something great for him, but he did not really know how it was going to happen. And here we are in the story, just a few weeks later, and his life was completely different.
David had a special moment when God approved him in front of his family, and after that moment, he went back to the sheep, knowing that God was up to something. A few weeks later, he had another special moment, this time in front of the king and his entire army, and afterward, he was invited to live in the palace. And after all of this, our text says that David was appointed as commander over the men of war. Without any military experience, without ever serving a day in the ranks, without ever even wearing a suit of armor, David took command of Israel’s forces as a military General. How in the world did that happen? The answer is clear: GRACE and FAVOR! This promotion was unearned, unexpected, unprecedented, and unfair.
So, what does this mean to you today?
1. What is grace?
Grace is God’s unmerited favor and divine enablement. It’s the supernatural empowerment that goes beyond human ability, allowing us to fulfill God’s purpose effortlessly. Grace is not about equity, fairness, or justice – it’s about God’s immeasurable love towards us. It’s the free gift of God’s love, forgiveness, and power, enabling us to live victoriously in Christ.
How this applies to you:
— Recognize that grace is unearned and undeserved – it’s a gift from God.
— Understand that grace empowers you to be who God created you to be.
— Embrace grace as God’s supernatural enablement to do what He’s called you to do.
— Accept that grace provides everything you need for life and godliness.
— Remember that grace has two aspects: one where God does everything and another where He empowers you to do all things.
2. Grace is not fair.
The mathematics of grace is scandalous. It flies in the face of merit and goes against everything you’ve been taught about earning something. Grace is not about fairness; it’s about God’s goodness. The woman caught in adultery and the thief on the cross both received grace, not justice. David’s sudden promotion to military commander wasn’t fair, but it was grace in action.
How this applies to you:
— Don’t fight against God when He gives you something by grace.
— Avoid feeling unworthy when receiving God’s grace – it’s not based on your merit.
— Understand that if God only gave you what you deserved, your life would be miserable.
— Accept what God gives you by faith, knowing it comes by His grace.
— Remember that grace doesn’t mean laziness – pursue your purpose with passion, empowered by grace.
3. What is favor?
Favor is God’s preferential treatment and supernatural advantage. It’s divine help and divine assistance, often manifested through people who use their power, ability, influence, and money to help you in ways you cannot help yourself. Favor is the tangible evidence of God’s grace, causing you to experience promotion, increase, and breakthrough beyond your natural abilities.
How this applies to you:
— Recognize favor as God opening doors that no man can shut.
— Understand that favor surrounds you like a shield, causing everything you touch to prosper.
— See favor as the irresistible influence of God’s presence in your life.
— While most people say favor is unmerited, I will make the point that favor is not always unprompted. What I mean by this is that we must often release our faith for a favor to manifest.
— While grace makes God’s favor available to you in ways that are unearned and undeserved, the manifestation of favor often requires you to believe, receive, and position yourself to walk in God’s best.
— God is looking for you to expect, by faith, His favor to grant you access to people, places, and opportunities beyond your qualifications.
— God wants you to believe, by faith, for His favor to manifest as God’s divine goodwill and approval in your life.
4. Favor is not fair.
Like grace, favor operates outside the realm of fairness or merit. It is God’s choice to bless you beyond what you deserve or have earned. David’s rapid rise from shepherd boy to military commander is a perfect example of how favor works. It’s not about your qualifications or experience, but about God’s plan for your life.
How this applies to you:
— Accept that God’s favor in your life may not seem fair to others. But fair or not, you must keep your heart OPEN to favor, by faith, and walk through the doors that God opens.
— Understand that favor can propel you into positions beyond your natural qualifications. When this happens, some may see it as unfair because, by worldly standards, it is. But just allow the devil to cause you to hold back or miss out on making the most of the opportunity just because you did not earn it, and it was unfair.
— If satan can get you to feel guilty about God’s blessing, grace, and favor, he can cause you to withdraw from or become stagnant in the assignment God blessed you with.
— Recognize that favor is part of God’s plan for your life, not a result of your own merit. While you do have to provide faith, you are not seeking to earn what God gave you. Your job is to embrace it, no matter how unfair the world may deem it to be. God expects you to walk in the grace He has placed on your life and to walk through the doors favor opened to you. This is how you become the man/woman God called you to be.
— Embrace the opportunities that come through favor, even if they seem undeserved. I am sure General Abner was not happy about having to report to a kid who had never been in a war before. But God elevated David “Commanding General of the Men of War.” So, whether General Abner liked it or not, David needed to embrace the grace to walk in the fullness of the assignment. David did not realize it, but God was preparing him for his future.
— God will favor you to assume a position that seems unfair at the time (because you seemingly bypassed other people in the process), but what you and others may not know is that God is preparing you for your life’s assignment. So, if He needs to bypass other people, He will do so because their assignment is different from yours!
— Remember that favor, like grace, is a reflection of God’s love and purpose, not your work or worthiness.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for Your amazing grace that empowers me to fulfill Your purpose.
I embrace Your unmerited favor, recognizing it’s not about my worthiness but Your love.
I accept the scandalous nature of Your grace, knowing it transcends fairness and justice.
Your favor surrounds me like a shield, opening doors no man can close.
I welcome Your preferential treatment, knowing it’s part of Your divine plan for my life.
I stand in awe of how You use others to bless me beyond my own abilities.
I receive Your supernatural advantage, even when it seems unfair or undeserved.
I trust in Your grace and favor to promote me and cause me to prosper.
I live in the confidence of Your presence, attracting blessings and repelling curses.
I walk in the fullness of Your grace and favor, fulfilling my divine purpose with joy and ease.
GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!????????????????
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!????????????????
