Are you going through a difficult time right now? You may even feel like giving up. A breakthrough is necessary. You know that God has given you a promise, but it seems that everything is falling on top of you. So many struggles and difficulties and there seems to be no way around them. The thoughts of leaving everything behind have flooded your mind.
Many people leave the church or get frustrated at this point. Rather than going forward, they take a few steps back, then the enemy wreaks havoc on them. I have talked with many people who have been at this point. To be completely honest, I have been at this point. There are times when yes, even I, want to give up. However, I have realized that this isn’t the time to give up. This is the time to renew your strength and move forward in Jesus!
When you are facing disappointing times and everything is against you it’s the time when you must hold on to God. You must remind Him of the promises He’s given. Surely He hasn’t forgotten you.He’s not finished with you yet. Tough times will come to all of us but we need to know that God always has a plan.
Did you know that David went through one of these moments? I’m sure he had many, but there is one story in the Bible, which is very clear, he was at a breaking point. This story is found in 1 Samuel 30. Some parts I will just paraphrase because I want you to get what’s happening in the story.
One day, David and his mighty men were rejected and forced to leave where they were hiding. The funny thing is they were hiding right in the midst of the enemy’s camp. David was living for a short time in the Philistine’s camp. (You will need to read 1 Samuel chapter 29 if you don’t believe me). He was sent back home because the Philistines felt that they couldn’t trust David . Before he stayed in the Philistine’s camp he was living in Ziklag.
David and his men returned to Ziklag after being rejected. They discovered that they had been ambushed, their city was in flames and their families had been kidnapped. This wasn’t a good day for David and his army.
The Bible states it this way,
Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 1 Samuel 30:4
It was such a difficult time for David and his men that they cried until they couldn’t cry anymore. So much had happened to them. They lost their families and all their possessions.
This would be a point that many of us would give up. Lots of people would lose their faith. It’s at these moments that God wants us to rise up. We should never let our circumstances bring us into depression or lose all hope. We must learn what David learned.
First, it gets even harder for David. Now everyone wants to kill him. They state that they are going to stone him. Like a lot of Christians today, they blamed everything on the leader or pastor. Most people don’t want to take responsibility for their actions; it’s just so much easier to blame someone else. The mighty men of David figured since they were going through such a difficult time they should kill their leader. Just do away with him altogether.
Distress came upon David. Well wouldn’t you be? He also lost his possessions and family and now everyone wanted to kill him. This day just went from bad to worse for David. He has nothing left to do, or does he? We all must learn what David learned at his breaking point. What did he learn?
But David strengthened himself in the Lord. 1 Samuel 30:6(b)
David learned that instead of trying to fight back or defend himself that this was a time to seek the Lord. To give up or depressed wasn’t an option. It was a moment when he would do what he knew best and that was to seek the Lord. At difficult times in your life is when you should seek the Presence of Jesus like never before. Don’t allow setbacks to pull you down.
As David seeks the Lord, he begins to ask if they will recover everything. He was asking if there was any point in pursuing them. God tells him yes they will recover everything. God gave David strength and told him to rise up and take back what the enemy had stolen.
I could say so much more about this story but there is another point that I’m trying to make. I don’t want to go on too long and lose your attention, rather, I want you to understand what was happening at this very moment.
David and his men recovered absolutely everything and then some. Even though only four hundred of the six-hundred men went with him he was still able get everything back from the enemy.
However, I’m getting to the point I want you to catch. Do you remember that in 1 Samuel chapter 16 David was anointed the next king of Israel? The prophet Samuel had come to his house and anointed him king. David knew that one day sooner or later this promise would come to pass. This is why David could stand even in the tough situations.
You have a promise from God. There’s something that God has spoken to you and it will surely come to pass. When God promises, He always delivers.
David could have given up at this point. Most people do. We probably wouldn’t have thought anything bad of David if the people killed him. We would have been sad that he never became king. If he hadn’t sought the Lord at this moment he probably would have died.
If David had given up at this time, he would have missed out on his breakthrough. How can you say this? Very easily. We need to look at the very next chapter. We learn that King Saul was murdered in Chapter 31. The promise that David received so many years earlier finally seemed like it could come to pass.
David could receive the crown, now that King Saul was dead. It had already been prophesied. God had promised it and even though it didn’t seem like it at the moment. He was working behind the scenes. God had set David up.
That’s right! Just at David’s breaking point. At the time when he was ready to give up, he received victory on the other side. He didn’t just get his stuff back. His promise was coming into fruition. Since David had been faithful, God was ready to give him the throne. Everything David had been promised were about to be fulfilled.
Have things seemed to be hard at this point in your life? Do you feel like you’re at your breaking point? Rise up! Strengthen yourself in the Lord! Seek Jesus’ face. As you do, he will bring you strategy. He will set things up for you.
Your breakthrough is right around the corner!!
