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 17:41-47)
Yesterday, we left off with David walking into the valley to face Goliath. Picture the scene upon the canvas of your mind. Two armies are mustered on each side of the valley. Down in the valley is a giant, clothed with armor head-to-toe. Standing by the giant is his armor-bearer, carrying a shield so big it requires a second man to tote it around. And then, out of the opposing side, comes a teenager with no armor at all. He is dressed more like he is ready for chores than for battle. He does not have a sword and has never trained with one. All he has is his shepherd’s staff, a slingshot, and five smooth stones. But wait, I forgot, this little boy does have something else… he has the grace of God. A few weeks earlier, he was a nobody from nowhere. Today, he is a young man who will represent his entire nation in battle. The weight of the nation is in his hands, and his hands are in God’s hands. That’s the scene, so now let’s pick up the story.
Goliath walked out toward David with his armor-bearer ahead of him and mocked his young opponent. Goliath asked, “Am I a dog that you come at me with a stick?” Goliath went on to curse David by the names of his gods. However, Goliath had no idea that he could not curse what the only true God had already blessed. Goliath yelled, “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” David was unphased.
Unlike Saul and his men, David did not allow Goliath’s threats to strike fear in his heart. David replied, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” For David, this was more than just a one-on-one hand-to-hand combat showdown. This was about God and how Goliath had disrespected him. David was God’s emissary, and he was going to let everyone present that day know what happens when you defy the God of Israel.
So, with his faith firmly rooted in God, David said, “Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” We will stop here for this week.
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Have faith in God.
There is nothing, literally NO THING, too hard for God. If He leads you to do something that is clearly beyond your natural ability, it is because He wants to flex His muscles and get the glory. Let Him! Have faith in His ability. If you have the courage to step out in faith, you will see the power of God manifested in, with, and through you, and the result will be a divine victory manifested through the hands of a submitted human. This is how we live by faith and experience #TheGraceLife.
How this applies to you:
— By now, you should be convinced that there is nothing God can’t do. Many Christians believe that. But they lack the faith that positions them in situations where they are totally reliant on God.
— Believing and even knowing that God can do it (whatever “it” is) is one thing. But having the faith to position yourself for God to do it through you is something else altogether.
— You must develop the faith to step into your valley and face your giant.
— Embrace challenges as opportunities for God to showcase His strength through you.
— Submit your limitations to God and watch Him work miracles beyond your abilities.
— Cultivate a mindset that sees impossibilities as invitations for God’s intervention.
— Boldly step into God-given assignments, knowing His power will sustain you. God’s grace is sufficient.
— This past Sunday, I preached about God’s grace, divine favor, and THE BLESSING, but none that will manifest in your life if you don’t have faith. Faith is how you tap into God’s grace, His favor, and THE BLESSING! Have faith in God!
2. God’s ways are not conventional.
God could have selected a seasoned warrior. He could have sent out His man with full armor and a sharp sword. He could have made someone as big as Goliath for Saul’s army, but what would be the fun in that? God specializes in man’s impossibilities. God does things in unconventional ways so that it would be clear that He was the one behind it and so that He would get all the glory!
How this applies to you:
— Be open to God’s unconventional methods in solving your problems.
— Remember, God is spiritual, not sensual, so His ways often do not make sense.
— Don’t limit God to your understanding or expectations of how He should work.
— Don’t limit God to your reasoning, logic, or common sense.
— Embrace the unique way God has equipped you, even if it seems inadequate.
— When God showcases His power through your inadequacies, what He is doing is making it clear to everyone around you that it was NOT you. That is how He gets the glory!
— It takes faith to allow God to use your weaknesses as platforms for His strength to shine. But if you have the faith, God has the grace, and the results will be amazing!
— God routinely uses the unexpected to do the unimaginable. He does things in ways that are very clear that it was NOT us! He does this so we don’t take His glory!
3. Your legs will never take you where your soul has never been!
David had already envisioned himself winning. David saw the victory upon the canvas of his mind (spiritually) before he ever stepped into the valley. As a believer, you must receive in your heart before you attempt to receive in your hands. And once you have received the vision (in your heart), you can have confidence that the provision (in your hands) will also come by God’s immeasurable grace at just the right time.
How this applies to you:
— If you spend time meditating and medicating on what God is saying to you, you will cultivate a vivid mental image of your God-given victory before it manifests.
— One of the key aspects of a life of faith is to align your thoughts and beliefs with God’s promises.
— Practice visualizing your success through the lens of faith.
— Paul said it this way, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen… ” (2 Cor 4:18).
— To walk and live by faith, you must cultivate inner vision daily through prayer and meditation on God’s Word.
— Trust that what you see in faith will eventually become your reality.
— David saw himself killing the giant and cutting his head off, even though he did not even have a sword. David was so convinced of this inner vision that he had the courage to ANNOUNCE IT, out loud, to Goliath, in front of everyone, before he did it.
— One of the ways you know that you are fully persuaded by God’s inner vision for your life is when you muster up the courage to ANNOUNCE IT before God does it. Anyone can say, after the fact, “Oh, I knew God was going to do it.” But it takes inner conviction (faith) to say what God is saying to you BEFORE He does it!
— Not only does it take faith to SEE it. It takes faith to SAY it!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I trust in Your unlimited power to overcome every obstacle in my life.
I embrace challenges as opportunities for You to showcase Your strength through me.
I submit my limitations to You, knowing You work beyond my abilities.
I open my heart to Your unconventional methods, refusing to limit You to my understanding.
I recognize that Your strength shines through my weaknesses.
I cultivate a vivid mental image of the victory You’ve promised me.
I nurture this inner vision daily through prayer and meditation on Your Word.
I muster the faith and courage to say what I see in my heart and then align my actions with it.
GREATER IS COMING FOR ME as I face my giants and walk in victory by Your grace and for Your glory!
????????????????
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. AMEN!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
