Morning by Morning, August 17 - Only God Can Turn Humiliation to Honor
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You’re One with the Father, One with the Holy Spirit, and I embrace You as One within me today (John 17:21). ...
This is morning, as I listen for the leading of Your Spirit, I hear in my heart: “David strengthened himself in the Lord.” ...
Yes, Lord. What comes to mind is the story of David at Ziklag, after a humiliating military defeat. Their sons and daughters and all their possessions were taken away captive in a sudden turn of events. No doubt everyone was scared and angry, perplexed and confounded about what to do because everything seemed so out of control in all the chaos (1 Samuel 30:1-5).
But in his desperation and in his faith, David turned to You:
“And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6).
Thank You, Lord, that we strengthen ourselves in You. How do we do that? ...
By turning to You in our hearts, by seeking You in our prayers, by pursuing You in our praise, by humbling ourselves to willingly choose to be desperately dependent upon You alone.
Apart from You, we can nothing (John 15:5). So You’ll take everything we’re going through -- even every injustice and evil, every wrong and failure, every sin and setback -- and turn it all around if we’ll turn it all over to You. That’s how You cause it all to work together for good. Even if You don’t “will” it all; You’ll surely “use” it all -- not wasting a moment of our sufferings and never missing an opportunity to help us grow into the maturity of the character of Christ, if we’ll turn to You and trust You (Romans 8:28).
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
So in his distress, in the humiliation of his present circumstances, David didn’t rise up in pride but bowed down in prayer. He didn’t depend upon himself and his own wisdom and ways, but turned to You, cried out to You, to seek Your wisdom and Your ways in his desperate time of need. “David inquired of the Lord” (1 Samuel 30:8).
And as if all of heavens armies answered the cry of his heart to go forth at Your command, You turned it all around! You brought breakthrough out of his brokenness. You brought victory out of his defeat. You brought honor out of his humiliation.
In the way that only You can do, “David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken.... Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken; David brought back everything” (1 Samuel 30:18-19). Nothing missing. Nothing broken. All was restored.
In our hearts, in our lives, in our nation, it can seem like we’re losing everything so suddenly -- left in confusion, anger, and humiliation in so many things that seem so much out of control and certainly out of our control. But that’s exactly when You call us to come close and draw us to draw near, to “inquire of the Lord” in humility and prayer, trusting in You alone.
It’s almost as if we should even put it on our money to remind us: “In God We Trust.” It’s almost as if we should even put it in our Pledge of Allegiance: “One nation under God.”
You’re still the God of the breakthrough. You’re still the God who redeems and restores. You’re still the God who turns the tables on our spiritual enemies when we turn to You and trust in You as call on Your name. Just as You made clear long ago, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
By the power of Your grace, we are “with God” and God is “with us” (Matthew 1:23). You’ll never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). But You’ll use all we go through to bring us closer to You and break through everything we’re going through to make us more like You every day (2 Corinthians 4:7-12). For in God we trust. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, may you turn to God and inquire of the Lord, strengthening yourself in the Lord as He moves in His breakthrough power in your life, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries
Mailing Address:
Messiah Ministries
412 S. Adams Street #148
Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
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