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.
Scriptures we have been looking at all year:
(Proverbs 4:25 TPT)
Set your gaze on the path before you. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life’s distractions.
(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.
Focus for today:
Setting the Stage. (From 1 Samuel 22:9-20)
Yesterday, we left off with Saul being highly upset about David making his way back into Judah. While Saul was upset with his men, one of them, Doeg the Edomite, spoke up and said, “When I was at Nob I saw the son of Jesse talking to the priest, Ahimelech son of Ahitub. Ahimelech consulted the LORD for David. Then he gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
Deog was basically tattling on Ahimelech in order to gain favor with the king. King Saul immediately sent for Ahimelech and the family of priests who served in Nob. When they arrived, Saul shouted at him, “Listen to me, you son of Ahitub! Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me? Why did you give him food and a sword? Why have you consulted God for him? Why have you encouraged him to kill me, as he is trying to do this very day?” Ahimelech had no idea where this was coming from. When David visited him, David lied and told the priest that he was on an assignment from the king. Ahimelech had helped David before and saw no reason why he would not support the king’s son-in-law again. In his mind, failing to help David would put him in trouble with the king, not the other way around.
Ahimelech replied, “But Sir, is anyone among all your servants as faithful as David, your son-in-law? Why, he is the captain of your bodyguard and a highly honored member of your household! This was certainly not the first time I had consulted God for him! May the king not accuse me and my family in this matter, for I knew nothing at all of any plot against you.” Ahimelech had no way of knowing it, but he had just stepped into a hornet’s nest. Saul was too angry to think rationally. The king shouted, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, along with your entire family!” Saul then ordered his bodyguards to kill the priests. But Saul’s men refused. They had more fear of the LORD than they did of Saul.
Just when it looked like Ahimelech might be out of the woods, Saul looked to the ‘kiss-up’ Doeg and said, “You do it.” Doeg was looking for an opportunity to move up in Saul’s sight, so the Edomite killed Ahimelech and his family of priests. 85 priests died that day, still wearing their priestly garments, all because Saul was upset. If that were not bad enough, Doeg then went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the priests’ families—men and women, children and babies—and then killed the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats. Abiathar, one of Ahimelech’s sons, was the only priest who escaped and fled to join David and his men.
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Power without submission is dangerous.
In the military, our leaders have authority, but everyone in authority is also under authority, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. If you are in authority but fail to submit to a higher authority, it is only a matter of time before you use your authority the wrong way. For Christian leaders (servant-leaders), the Father can bless us to be in positions of authority because He knows we are both under His authority and under the earthly authority we are subject to. Said another way, the earthly power to lead comes from a willingness to be led.
How this applies to you:
— Earthly power without spiritual accountability is a recipe for disaster.
— What Saul did by killing 85 priests and their families is an example of what happens when you have someone in authority who is not under authority.
— True leadership strength comes from knowing who and when to follow.
— Recognize that all authority ultimately comes from God.
— Seek accountability in your areas of influence and leadership.
— Submit to God’s authority first in all your decisions.
— In the Kingdom of God, your level of authority is based on your level of submission. The only reason why everything on earth had to submit to Jesus was because He had completely submitted to heaven. He did nothing (literally NO THING) without the Father.
2. People without God, seeking power in the world’s ways, will do just about anything.
What Deog did—killing the priests, their families, and even their animals—was despicable, but you can’t put anything past those who are seeking to move up the ladder without God. As believers, we must never seek to move up that way. We don’t have to put someone down in order for us to move up. We build others up and still move up in the process because we know our promotions come from the Lord.
How this applies to you:
— Doeg’s actions reveal the depths to which people will sink when pursuing power through worldly means. As believers, we’re called to a higher standard.
— As believers, our advancement should never come at the cost of others. Instead, we’re to lift others up, trusting that our promotions come from God, not our own manipulations.
— Resist the temptation to advance yourself by putting others down.
— Trust in God’s timing for your promotions and successes.
— Celebrate and support the achievements of others.
— Seek to add value to others rather than using them for personal gain.
— Remember that true success in God’s eyes often looks different from worldly success.
3. There is a level of mystery to walking with God.
The same God who protected David, time and time again, by grace, failed to protect Ahimelech, the other priests, and their family members. Hundreds of innocent people died in this passage, only one making it out alive, all because of Saul’s anger, and God did not stop it. Does this mean that God, in His sovereignty, WANTED this to happen? Does this mean that this was God’s will? Absolutely not! But it does mean that there is a devil and he operates in the earth through people.
Sometimes, God steps in and prevents the devil from doing something, and other times, He does not. I don’t claim to have all the answers, and we won’t know for sure until we get to heaven, but for now, I can tell you that God’s sovereignty and our responsibility to pursue Him and our divine purpose, with all our might, are not mutually exclusive.
Bad things happen to good people. Good things happen to bad people. There is a level of mystery to walking with God. So my advice to you is to run the race that has been set before you and run it with all your might. You have grace for your race. Along the way you might encounter difficulties, but keep running. Never allow an obstacle to keep you from maximizing your purpose and potential. And when you get to heaven, all your questions will be answered.
How this applies to you:
— There is a complex interplay between God’s sovereignty and human free will. While we may not understand all of God’s ways, we’re called to trust Him and continue pursuing our divine purpose with unwavering determination.
— Accept that there will be aspects of God’s ways that remain mysterious until we reach heaven.
— Trust in God’s overall plan, even when circumstances seem unfair or confusing.
— Don’t let tragedies or injustices deter you from your God-given purpose.
— Seek God’s wisdom and comfort when facing life’s hard questions.
— Remember that our limited perspective can’t fully grasp the enormity of God’s eternal purposes.
4. Your survival is purposeful – make the most of it.
If you are reading this, I am sure God has kept you from all sorts of dangers and attacks. You may have survived things that others did not. While you may have questions as to why others did not make it, while you did, just know that you may not get those questions answered until you get to heaven. For now, your focus should be on making the most of the limited time you have on this planet.
How this applies to you:
— Recognize that your survival through various challenges is not by chance but by God’s grace.
— Acknowledge that you may not understand why you’ve been preserved when others weren’t and this may cause survivor’s guilt. But to maximize your purpose and potential, you must release that guilt and embrace your journey. That was what Abiathar, the priest, had to do.
— Accept that some questions about life’s inequities may only be answered in heaven.
— Focus on fulfilling your purpose rather than dwelling on unanswerable questions.
— Make the most of your life, knowing that your survival is intentional and purposeful.
— Use your experiences of preservation to encourage others and glorify God.
— Live with a sense of urgency, understanding that your time on earth is limited and valuable.
5. Faith thrives in the face of uncertainty.
Walking with God often requires us to trust Him even when we don’t have all the answers. Our faith grows stronger when we choose to believe in God’s goodness and wisdom, especially in situations we don’t fully understand.
How this applies to you:
— Embrace uncertainty as an opportunity to deepen your faith.
— Remember that God’s ways are often beyond our full comprehension.
— Choose to trust God’s character when His actions seem confusing.
— Allow the mysteries of faith to humble you and increase your dependence on God.
— Enter every day with this mindset: “Hey, if God told me everything, I would not need faith. Since He called me to live by faith, I embrace the challenge to see the unseen and believe what the world thinks is unbelievable.”
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I submit myself fully to Your authority, recognizing that all power comes from You.
I trust in Your sovereign plan, even when I don’t understand Your ways.
Your grace sustains me through every trial and tragedy I face.
I choose to advance Your Kingdom rather than my own ambitions.
My ears are attentive to Your voice, and I am ready to follow Your guidance in all circumstances.
I persevere in faith, knowing that You can use all things for Your glory and my good.
In times of confusion or injustice, I cling to Your unchanging character and promises.
GREATER IS COMING FOR ME as I align my life with Your purpose and rely on Your unfailing love.
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!????????????????
