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 31)
We have been so involved in what happened to David and his men on the way back from the preparation for the battle with Israel (the one they were not allowed to participate in) that many of you may have forgotten that the battle was still pending. Well, it took place, and it was not pretty for Israel. The Philistines attacked Israel fiercely, and the Bible says, “The men of Israel fled before them.” Many Israelites were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa. It was here that the Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons. The enemies of Israel killed King Saul’s three sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua. As the fighting was closing in on Saul, a Philistine archer spotted him and wounded the king severely.
Saul realized he was at the point of death. He groaned to his armor bearer, “Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to run me through and taunt and torture me.” But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So, Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When his armor bearer realized what Saul had done, he fell on his sword and died beside the king. Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and his troops all died together that same day.
When the Israelites on the other side of the Jezreel Valley and beyond the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. With the Israelites gone, the Philistines moved in and occupied their towns. The next day, when the Philistines went out to strip the dead, they found the bodies of Saul and his three sons on Mount Gilboa. They cut off Saul’s head and stripped off his armor. They then proclaimed the good news (what they considered to be good news) of Saul’s death in their pagan temple and to the people throughout the land of Philistia.
The Philistines celebrated the death of Saul. They placed his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and they fastened his headless body and the bodies of his sons to the wall of the city of Beth-shan. When the people of Jabesh-Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul’s corpse, their mighty warriors traveled through the night to Beth-shan and took the bodies of Saul and his sons down from the wall. They brought them to Jabesh, where they burned the bodies. The men then took the bones and buried them beneath the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days. Mighty Israel had fallen. Israel’s king was dead, men had fled, and the Philistines occupied its towns. To make the situation worse, their future king was living in Philistia at the time, in Ziklag, seeking the Lord concerning what to do next. The Israelites were fasting and praying. We will see tomorrow that David fasted and prayed, and while the situation was certainly dire for the nation, Israel would rise again!
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Your Divine Destiny Unfolds in Times and Seasons.
In 1 Samuel 31, the nation of Israel was in a bad situation, but like all appointed times and seasons, this too would pass. Our life is a journey that unfolds in both divine times (specific moments) and seasons (extended periods). You may know your purpose and where the Father wants you to end up in life, but that does not mean you will get there tomorrow. There is a path (for you to follow) and a pace (at which you should run) involved in completing your purpose. This involves both God’s perfect timing (kairos moments) and His ordained seasons (extended periods of development).
God orchestrates our lives through carefully planned times and seasons. Just as Israel faced this difficult transition between Saul and David’s reign, we, too, experience various seasons in our journey. While you may know your ultimate destination, the path involves both specific moments of divine intervention (times) and extended periods of development (seasons) – some for growth, some for preparation, some for waiting, and some for advancement. Each time and season serves a specific purpose in God’s grand design for your life.
How this applies to you:
— Trust both God’s timing (specific moments) and His seasons (extended periods).
— Recognize that every time and season has a specific purpose.
— Allow each season to fully develop what God intended.
— Be alert for divine moments (kairos times) within your current season.
— Remember that while seasons are temporary, divine moments can alter the trajectory of your life!
— Learn to discern both God’s timing and His seasonal transitions in your life.
2. Transition Periods Are Preparation Periods.
Israel was experiencing a time of transition between the reign of Saul and that of David. This in-between time was not easy for them, and it is often not easy for us. When you are in between seasons, and you know the Father is birthing something in you that is greater than what you are facing, the pressure will be on you to give up, but deep down inside, you know you can’t. What lies before you is too great to forfeit because of the pressure you are facing in front of you.
What appears to be a devastating time for Israel was actually God’s setup for a new era. Similarly, your transition periods, though challenging, are often God’s preparation periods. During these times, God usually does more internal work than external work.
How this applies to you:
— Use transition periods to develop your character.
— During transition periods, God tests your faith (will you still believe what He said) and patience (will you believe long enough to see it come to pass).
— God refines your faith during uncertain times. He wants to know if your faith will outlast a season when everything in the natural is going against what He said to you in the spirit.
— Focus on internal growth during external challenges.
— Trust that God is preparing you for something greater.
— Embrace the discomfort of transition because it is required for your growth.
— During a season of transition, rest in this truth: God is preparing you for what He has already prepared for you.
3. Not All Losses Are Failures.
While Israel temporarily lost their king and territory, this loss set the stage for David’s kingship – Israel’s golden age. Sometimes, what appears to be a loss is actually God clearing the way for something better. Not every closed door is a failure; some are divine redirections.
How this applies to you:
— Evaluate losses through the lens of God’s greater purpose.
— While most of us don’t like to lose (I may even hate it), we must learn to look at the loss through the lens of God’s sovereignty.
— Look for God’s hand even in apparent losses.
— Many times, when you don’t get what you want, God is preparing you for something greater.
— Remember that temporary defeats don’t define your destiny. The people God uses in mighty ways are NOT people who never lose. They are just people who NEVER QUIT!
— Maintain faith that God is working everything for your good.
4. God Is Positioning You for the Next Season.
During this transitional period, David was positioned exactly where he needed to be – even though it appeared wrong to be in Philistine territory. Sometimes, God positions you in unexpected places to prepare you for your next assignment. Your current position might seem wrong (you may seem out of place or ill-prepared), but it could be divine positioning.
How this applies to you:
— Trust God’s positioning even when it doesn’t make sense.
— Remain faithful where God has placed you.
— Determine to bloom where you have been planted, even though it may seem like a strange place to be.
— Stay alert to divine opportunities in unlikely places.
— Maintain your integrity even in foreign territory.
— Use transition periods to realign your priorities with God’s purpose. Check your heart and your priorities.
— Keep your heart OPEN and READY for God’s next move.
5. God’s Plans Transcend Current Circumstances.
Despite Israel’s apparent defeat, God’s ultimate plan for the nation remained intact. Your current circumstances don’t change God’s predetermined purpose for your life. What looks like an ending might actually be God’s beginning.
How this applies to you:
— Focus on God’s promises rather than current problems.
— Remember that God’s plans are bigger than present circumstances.
— Trust that God’s purpose will prevail despite what you consider to be setbacks.
— Keep your faith anchored in God’s ultimate plan.
— Stay committed to God’s vision regardless of what you are facing right now.
— View transitions as bridges, not barriers. God is not blocking you; He is preparing you and ushering you into your next level!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I acknowledge and submit to Your divine timing – both Your kairos moments and Your longer ordained seasons.
I embrace every transitional period as Your divine preparation process for my next level.
I see every seeming loss through the lens of Your sovereign purpose, knowing You are setting me up for something greater.
I trust Your divine positioning, even when I seem to be in unfamiliar or uncomfortable territory.
I declare that Your plans for my life transcend my current circumstances and challenges.
I remain faithful and focused during seasons of waiting, knowing You are working on me internally while I wait.
I stay alert, open and ready for divine moments within my current season and I also discern when seasons change.
GREATER IS COMING FOR ME as I align with Your perfect timing and positioning!
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it, and prosper!
