Tag Archive: Samuel


Know When to Wait and When to Go

Filed under: Creatively Speaking, Focus, Have You Thought About?, Hope for a struggling Marriage, Overcoming, Searching For Purpose?, Staying Together, Uncategorized, Winning — 8 Comments
April 16, 2016

by d.j. Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

To Wait... To Go by D.J. Martin

‘Waiting’ by D.J. Martin

They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Wait, I say, on the LORD.

That’s one of my favorite scriptures, but there is a dilemma. How do you know when to wait and when to go?

Take Moses and the children of Israel. Moses heard he was called to deliver his people and he proceeded to go and murder an Egyptian (Exodus 2:12). It was not time to go. So, when was the time to go? When he was eighty years old, at least forty years later…Then when he got them to the entrance of the promise land, they decided to wait instead of go. They died waiting.

How in the world do you know when it’s time to wait or time to go?

Look at King Saul. The prophet Samuel told him that he would meet Saul at a specific time to make sacrifice and bless them before they went into battle. So Saul waited, but when the time came, Samuel had not arrived. The people began to get restless, making King Saul anxious. He now had a dilemma: whether he should wait or whether he should go. He made the wrong choice. He didn’t wait on Samuel, and his position as king of Israel became very shaky. It was time to wait, not time to go (1Samuel 13).

The time King David was to go with the army into battle, he thought it was time to wait. His poor choice resulted in adultery, murder and death of a baby boy (2Samuel 11). For him, it was time to go, not time to wait.

And then there was the prodigal son. He couldn’t wait for his inheritance. Things didn’t turn out so well (Luke 15:16). He should have waited.

Solomon tells us, in the book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, that there’s a time for everything. But he didn’t tell us when… Just how do you know when it’s time to wait and time to go, especially if you are trying to grow your faith in God? ? ?

Four years ago, I decided that it was time to go, but God made it quite clear that it was not the time. I got pressure on every side to go, but God also surrounded me with people who had a word of wisdom. So I changed my mind and waited. I prayed for wisdom while I waited so that I could discern when it was the right time to go. Graciously, He gave me the wisdom and I chose the right time to go.

I think that the time to go or the time to wait is not based on circumstances or time of day, month or year. We at times make poor choices, because we think it is about circumstances and timing, but it must be more than that. It’s about wisdom and discernment. Since God is omnipresent, He can best reveal the wisest time to go or to wait. Thankfully, even though we can’t seem to figure it out and occasionally make the wrong choice, God forgives and re-routes us.

Patience is truly a difficult thing, especially when you don’t know exactly when it’s time to wait or time to go. But as Solomon concluded, the best way to know is to remember our Creator God who righteously judges whether it be good or bad (Ecclesiastes 12). To know when to wait and when to go, seek wisdom from God (James 1:5). I’m a witness that He gives it freely!

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD!” Psalm 27:14 

 

That’s Today’s Single Focus.

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Dawn’s Light

Filed under: Creatively Speaking, Focus, Have You Thought About?, Overcoming, True Story, Uncategorized, Winning — 4 Comments
June 26, 2015

DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

'DAWN' by D.J. Martin

‘DAWN’ by D.J. Martin

Have you noticed that no matter how darkness crowds out the light of day, dawn still comes in the morning? It looks truly dark these days. While there are mad men all over Africa and the Middle East trying to wipe out the name of Jesus Christ from the lips of the people by murderous slaughter, there are delusional leaders in the free world, thinking the people gullible, declaring war and making treaties on climate change. They are like blind men, in the dark, groping for reading glasses or artificial light.

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

“Thou, even Thou, art LORD alone; Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth Thee.” Nehemiah 9:6

We are in a time where the voice of the people overwhelmingly cries out for a return of our nation to righteous God-fearing laws, while the judges hastily declare evil to be right and good to be evil. They do not hear or listen to the voice of God; it’s no wonder that they do not listen to the voice of the people. So the government tries to silence the lips that declare, “The Word of God is true and Jesus is Lord” by passing ungodly laws; declaring that babies should be killed at will and men and women should be allowed to behave even as animals don’t do, and psychologist and counselors are forbidden to try to break the chains that hold perverted minds captive.

Every generation has had challenges that causes the darkness to try to conquer the light. While the children of Abraham were in Egypt, the Pharaoh tried to quench the birth rate of the Israelite by legalizing the late-term abortion of all baby boys. Spiritually speaking, this was the devil’s attempt to squash the promise of God to Abraham. Even so, they still grew in number. Though the time was dark, Moses, the deliverer, was born (Hebrews 11:23). And when he was older, he lead his people from the darkness of oppression and slavery in Egypt to the light of freedom.

King Saul insanely tried to snap out the life of David, because he was jealous and wanted to prevent him from becoming king in his stead. Alas, Saul died at his own hands and David became king anyway (1Samuel 31:4).

Though they captured Samson and blinded his eyes so that he walked in darkness the rest of his imprisoned life and would no longer continuously defeat the Philistines; which was what he was anointed to do. Even so, Samson defeated more Philistines when blind than he ever did when he could see (Judges 16:30).

King Herod tried to prevent the coming of the Messiah by killing baby boys, but Jesus was born and lived anyway. The religious leaders tried to stop the ministry of Jesus Christ. Therefore they tried Him in an illegitimate court and unjustly convicted Him to death on a cross. It was a very dark day; the day He died. Hope faded into darkness for some, on that day. There was no light on the day He died (Mark 15:33–34). Then to prevent any resemblance of His resurrection (for He said He would rise), they placed guards around His tomb, rolled a huge rock to cover the tomb where His body laid and then they sealed the tomb. But, He arose anyway! It was at dawn, in the early light of the morning (Matthew 28:1), that they found the tomb open and the stone rolled away and that Jesus, the Light of the world, was no longer dead. He had risen just as He said He would.

They intimidated the Christians and sent those who uttered the name of Jesus Christ into the darkness; hiding from the Romans for fear they would be crucified also. But there in the upper room, the Light of the Holy Spirit came and the disciples emerged from the darkness and boldly declared the name of Jesus Christ. They were thrown into the darkest of prisons, beaten, beheaded, crucified, ridiculed and exiled; all to silence the lips who called Jesus Christ, “Lord.” Even so, His name continues to be on the lips of people of every tongue and every nation.

I’m thinking that the reason every generation has their days of darkness is because, there is in every generation someone or some government or ruler, who is on the devil’s side (Ephesians 6:12), trying to hide the Light by trying to silence the lips that call the name of Jesus Christ and declare Him Lord. But I’m reminded that the light of the truth of Jesus Christ emerges despite all that darkness tries to do.

John tells us in the book of Revelation that darkness will come with great vengeance and the rulers of darkness, in the last generation, will again ferociously try to silence the lips of those that call the name of Jesus Christ. They will beat, oppress and kill their bodies. They will pass laws to oppress and silence them and chase them into darkness, hiding for fear of persecution and death. But, dawn will come and there will be a removal of darkness and the light of the Son will rule and vanquish the rulers of darkness into a pit (Revelation 21:23). The dead in Christ will rise and the Light of the world will visibly rule forever more.

Jesus put it this way, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man [the Light] coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matthew 24:29-30).”

How fascinating that God put in place a demonstration of the victorious truth of this spiritual warfare. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12).” No matter how dark the night on this pilgrimage, the dawn’s light of day effortlessly comes and consumes the darkness.

Truly, this generation, is witness to darkness, but praise be to God, just as surely as the dawn comes after the darkness of night, we know that the Light ‘cometh’ and conquers the darkness of this world.

“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.” Isaiah 60:1

  That’s Today’s’ Single Focus…

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New Year’s Resolve: Day 7!

Filed under: Focus, Have You Thought About?, Searching For Purpose?, Uncategorized — 3 Comments
January 7, 2013

by DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

Happy New Year!I believe that this is God’s resolve for us. I’ll let Him speak in His own Words…

This is what I commanded them, saying, “Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.”  Jeremiah 7:23

“Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.”  Jeremiah 7:24

“They and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to Your commandments, Nehemiah 9:16

They refused to obey, and they were not mindful of Your wonders that You did among them. But they hardened their necks, and in their rebellion, they appointed a leader to return to their bondage.” Nehemiah 9:17

“If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then both you and the one who reigns over you will continue following the LORD your God.  But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you.” 1 Samuel 12:14-15

“But if they do not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation,” says the LORD.               Jeremiah 12:17

“If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.” Job 36:11

“A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:  Deuteronomy 11:27

and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.”  Deuteronomy 11:28

 “Until You disciplined me, I went astray; but now I keep Your word.” Psalm 119:67

“Therefore you shall

  1.  Obey the voice of the LORD your God,
  2. And observe His commandments and His statutes today.”  Deuteronomy 27:10 
  3. “And return to the LORD your God and 
  4.   Obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul”  Deuteronomy 30:2.

“Now therefore,

  1. Amend your ways and your doings, and
  2. Obey the voice of the LORD your God;

Then the LORD will relent concerning the doom that He has pronounced against you.”  Jeremiah 26:13

  1. “Obey My voice according to that which I command you.”  Genesis 27:8

“My son,

  1. Keep My words, and
  2. Treasure My commandments.
  3. Keep My commandments, and live, and My law as the apple of your eye.
  4. Tie them on your fingers as a reminder.
  5. Write them deep within your heart.” Proverbs 7:1-3
  6. “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,  Colossians 3:23

Knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for you serve the Lord Christ.”  Colossians 3:24

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. John 14:23

He who does not love Me does not obey My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.” John 14:24

Peter and the other apostles answered and said; “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Act 5:29

Jeremiah said, “They shall not deliver you. Please, obey the voice of the LORD, which I speak to you. So it shall be well with you, and your soul shall live.”  Jeremiah 38:20

This New Year we should resolve to obey the voice of the Lord. Unfortunately many times we find ourselves obeying the dictates of the ungodly world rather than God.  We flock to the countless self-help groups and “How to be successful’ seminars, but how often do we measure their advice against the Word and commandments of the Lord.  I don’t know about you, but someone is always approaching me with some scheme to bypass the law. I have no doubt that before the cunning approaches you with their devilish scheme, God has already told you what to do. I can’t tell you how many times after ‘falling on my face’, I have had to say to myself, “ I should have obeyed God instead of listening to that man or that woman.”

Let’s face it, we are Children of Eve. I remember a time when I needed finances. God told me what to do, but somebody told me of another way.  Foolishly (failing to discern)   I thought it was wisdom.  Needless to say their way failed and I had to go back and do things God’s way.  Listening to the voices of others and not God, just delayed my victory.  I felt like someone had given me a kick in the gut.  I finally got tired of that and decided to listen carefully to God and strive to obey His will. There have been times that God has given me clear instructions, but I always had a “better idea,” because the world has always done it my way. My way always led to embarrassing failure. I can’t say that I am completely cured, but I resolve to be more discerning and obey Him and not man. It just saves a lot of time, headaches and heartaches.

I’m a firm believer that God’s way is best. Therefore, let us resolve to obey God without hesitation. If you observe the successful and victorious people written about in the Bible, you see that they all had several things in common: they obeyed God and because they were obedient, God was with them;  God exalted them, and He gave them the treasures of their enemies. It’s a good thing to obey God! It could be that you are not experiencing victory because of disobedience.  Just because the world has made sin lawful or acceptable, doesn’t mean that His children should participate in sin; like gambling for example.  If you fall for living a life of disobedience and not walking in the Word or not obeying the Word of God, then your destiny will be as those who are not followers of Christ.  Destruction and defeat will be your meat, and those who obey Him will feast upon the treasures God has taken from you.

What has God told you to do? Why do you hesitate? I know that it isn’t what the world is doing or the way the world is doing it, but the power of the world is limited to what God will allow. The power of God covering His obedient children is limitless.

We have to study His word and talk with Him so that we can be discerning and able to distinguish between His voice and that of the devil or this world. I like the way Jeremiah put it: “Please obey the voice of the Lord” But we cannot if we don’t recognize His voice or His word.

May we resolve this New Year, with the help of the Holy Spirit,  to be obedient to God and His Word. Having resolved to obey God, may we be discerning and experience exceedingly abundant victory, health and well-being, loving relationships and prosperity according to the promises of God.  We must allow Christ to be our Lord and diligently seek to be known as His obedient servant.

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”   Psalm 119:11

That’s Todays’ Single Focus…

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