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. (From 1 Samuel 19:18-23)
In the last few messages, we have seen how King Saul made attempts to kill David. We also saw how Saul’s flesh-and-blood children stepped in to save David from their father. This morning we will see another attempt, but this time the Lord Himself will step in to save David.
By the way, I just want you to know that I consider this passage to be one of the most powerful in David’s story, and most people don’t even know it happened. Open your heart to receive!
After David’s wife helped him climb through a window in order to escape into the night, David fled to Ramah to see the prophet Samuel. After all, David’s life had never been the same since the day Samuel visited his home in Bethlehem. David told the prophet what was going on and all that Saul had done to him. Samuel decided to take David with him to live at Naioth. Saul got word that David was at Naioth in Ramah and he immediately sent his troops on a capture-or-kill mission. But when the Soldiers arrived in Ramah they encountered Samuel and a group of prophets he was mentoring. The prophets were all prophesying and all of a sudden the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s Soldiers and they too began to prophesy. Somehow Saul received word of what happened and he sent another group of troops, but when they arrived in Ramah the Spirit of God came upon them and they began to prophesy uncontrollably as well. Saul received word of what happened to the second group and sure enough, he sent a third group of Soldiers. Guess what happened? The same thing! The king had sent three groups of elite Soldiers to capture David and the King of Kings intervened every time. The Lord had hardened combat-tested Soldiers prophesying like they were prophets.
Saul was fed up with the situation and he decided to take a trip to Ramah himself. The king arrived in Ramah and stopped at the great well in Secu. “Where are Samuel and David?” he demanded. By now king Saul was not just after David, but he was upset with the prophet Samuel as well. “They are at Naioth in Ramah,” someone told him. So Saul took off to find them, but on the way the Spirit of God came upon Saul and he too began to prophesy all the way to Naioth! Saul could not stop what was happening. The king was so upset that when he finally got to the presence of Samuel, Saul tore off his clothes and laid naked on the ground all day and all night, prophesying in the presence of the prophet. A few people saw what was going on and exclaimed, “What? Is even Saul a prophet?” We will stop here for today.
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Divine Favor vs. Divine Intervention.
In David’s journey, we’ve seen God’s favor at work through Saul’s children, Jonathan and Michal, who protected David from their father’s attacks. This showcases how God can use people to provide assistance and protection. However, in this passage, we witness a shift to direct divine intervention. When Saul sent his soldiers to capture David, God Himself intervened supernaturally, causing the soldiers to prophesy uncontrollably. Even more dramatically, when Saul personally went to pursue David, God’s Spirit came upon him so powerfully that Saul lost all control, prophesying and laying naked on the ground for a day and a night.
This wasn’t merely human help; it was God’s sovereign power manifesting directly to protect David, even to the point of completely incapacitating his persecutor, who was an earthly king. While favor through others is a blessing, God’s direct intervention demonstrates His willingness and ability to act without human intermediaries when necessary, showcasing His unlimited power to safeguard and protect His people, even by directly influencing those who oppose them. This is powerful!
How this applies to you:
— Recognize and be thankful for both human-facilitated favor and direct divine intervention in your life.
— Don’t limit God’s ability to help you based on the availability of human assistance. God can do it Himself if He can’t find anyone to cooperate with Him.
— Be open to unexpected ways God might intervene in your situations. There is literally NOTHING God can’t do!
— Thank God for His willingness to step in personally on your behalf, just because He loves you! When you know God intervened, you owe Him praise!
— Trust that God’s methods of protection and provision are always perfect for your circumstances. God has a myriad of ways to protect and bless you!
2. God’s Sovereign Power Overrides Human Plans.
When Saul sent his soldiers to capture David, God sovereignly intervened in a remarkable way. Not once, but three times, Saul dispatched three groups of soldiers to apprehend David, and each time, the Spirit of God came upon them, causing them to prophesy uncontrollably. This divine intervention completely derailed Saul’s plans.
Even when Saul himself went to capture David, God’s Spirit overwhelmed him, causing him to prophesy and rendering him powerless. This series of events powerfully demonstrates that no human plot or plan, no matter how determined or repetitive, can stop God’s purpose for your life. God’s sovereign power is so absolute that He can not only protect His chosen ones but also turn the very instruments of opposition – in this case, Saul and his soldiers – into unexpected participants in the display of His power! This shows that God can turn even your enemies’ schemes into opportunities for His glory, using the tools meant for your harm to showcase His unmatched power and authority.
How this applies to you:
— Trust in God’s ability to override any human plans that oppose His will for your life.
— Remain confident in God’s protection, even when facing seemingly insurmountable odds. One move from God can turn any situation around!
— Recognize that God can use unusual methods to deliver you from danger. What He did in this case was very unusual, but it showcased His power.
— Stay focused on your purpose, knowing that God will handle those who oppose you. Leave vengeance and recompense to Him!
— Use adversity as an opportunity to witness God’s sovereign power in action.
3. Pursuing God’s Purpose Aligns You with His Protection.
When you’re in pursuit of God’s purpose for your life, any opposition you face is ultimately against God Himself. This puts you under His divine protection, and it puts your enemies on the wrong side of God! You don’t need to fight your own battles; God will defend His plans and purposes for you.
How this applies to you:
— Align yourself with God’s purpose to experience His supernatural protection. Rest in knowing that you are doing what God called you to do.
— Recognize that opposition to your God-given purpose is actually opposition to God Himself. This should put you at peace, and it should also position your enemies to experience God in a way they will not like.
— Rest in God’s ability to fight your battles when you’re pursuing His will. If God is FOR you, He is more than the entire world against you!
— Continue pressing forward in your divine purpose, regardless of obstacles, knowing that God’s got you!
— Trust that God will protect the work He has called you to do. If it’s His will, then it’s His bill!
4. God Can Turn Opposition into Opportunity for Testimony.
In this passage, God not only protected David but also turned Saul and his soldiers into unwilling participants in David’s story and direct witnesses of His power. Their prophesying became a testimony to God’s sovereignty and served as a sign to others. Similarly, God can use the challenges you face as opportunities to showcase His power and create powerful testimonies.
How this applies to you:
— View opposition as potential opportunities for God to display His power. The bigger the test, the greater the testimony.
— Be prepared for God to work in unexpected ways that glorify Him. Remember, there is nothing He can’t do, so when your situation gets hard, it is a great opportunity for God to manifest His glory!
— Look for ways your trials can become testimonies that inspire others. This will require you to be willing to SHARE what God has done.
— Remain open to God using your enemies to confirm His calling on your life. Sometimes, the strength of your enemies serves as a confirmation of the size of your calling!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I trust in Your divine intervention, knowing You can act directly in my life when needed.
I recognize Your sovereign power to override any human plans that oppose Your will for me.
As I pursue Your purpose, I rest in the assurance of Your supernatural protection over my life.
I remain confident that You fight my battles when I’m aligned with Your divine plans.
I choose to view opposition as opportunities for You to display Your power in unexpected ways.
My focus remains on fulfilling my God-given purpose, regardless of the obstacles I may face.
I am open to Your unusual methods of deliverance, trusting they are perfect for my circumstances.
When people rise up against me, Your purpose for my life, they are rising up against You, putting them on the wrong side of Your power. You will deal with them as You see fit.
I focus on my purpose daily, and I leave vengeance and recompense to You!
GREATER IS COMING FOR ME as I witness Your power turning trials into triumphs for Your glory.
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!????????????????
