The place of isolation.

“So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, send me David your son, 

who is with the sheep.” 

 

David was in an isolated place away from people and yet Saul knew where to find him.

How did that happen?

He was alone for the most part of his day. It wasn’t the coolest, hippest place to hang out

I can imagine but it’s in that place that David’s relationship with God was developed. It’s in that

place he communed and worshipped God. He learned to trust God in that place. It’s in that place

he fought a lion and a bear and God delivered him from them both. (1 Samuel 17:37)

 

You might be in a place where people don’t see you or even recognize you but know this,

the Lord knows exactly where you are. Be patient where you are. The Lord is at work in you

and is directing your every step.

 

“Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, 

The Lord has not chosen any of these. 

Then [he] said to Jesse, Are all your sons here? [Jesse] said, There is yet the youngest; 

he is tending the sheep. 

Samuel said to Jesse, Send for him; for we will not sit down to eat until he is here. 

Jesse sent and brought him. David had a healthy reddish complexion and beautiful eyes and

was fine-looking. 

The Lord said [to Samuel], Arise, anoint him; this is he.”

1 Samuel 16:10-12

 

David’s father forgot about David and had to be asked if he had another son but that will never

happen with God.  Like I said before, He knows where you are.

Don’t despise the place you are in today. It might not be the most exciting place to be or the most

fulfilling and can even be frustrating but God has a plan for your life. He knows what He is doing.

 

“Now Eliab his eldest brother heard what he said to the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled

against David and he said, Why did you come here? 

With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and 

evilness of heart; for you came down that you might see the battle.” 

1 Samuel 17:28

 

“With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness?”

 

Did David’s brother have an understanding of what was happening in the wilderness with

those “few sheep”?

I don’t think he had the slightest clue.

The place of isolation was very important. It prepared David to fight Goliath and win!

It prepared him for the things God planned for him.

 

So today, don’t underestimate what God is doing in you and through you. He has not forgotten you.

He is working in and through the circumstances you are facing and even though it may seem like

you are alone you are not.

I was getting frustrated with where I was in my life but I began to realize that God was in total control.

He IS in total control and there is nothing that happens in my life or your life that catches

Him by surprise. You may have been in a place for a long time and it seems like things won’t change

but I am here to say that things will change for you. God is faithful and will not abandon you.

Man will let you down but not God. Look to Him alone.

He sees you in your place of isolation!

Bless you friends

 

Rolain

 

 

What was his confidence based on?

“When they had come, he looked on Eliab [the eldest son] and said, Surely the Lord’s 

anointed is before Him.” 

1 Samuel 16:6

 

Samuel thought his job was a success when he saw Eliab.

We must remember Samuel was sent to anoint a king, so the person he would anoint

was not ordinary. He would have something that separated him from everyone else.

So when Samuel looked at Eliab’s physical appearance he was convinced he was the one.

He had the muscles, the height, the intelligence, and was well spoken.

What Samuel saw convinced him Eliab was the one but the Lord said something that made

him change his mind;

 

“But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, 

for I have rejected him. 

For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord 

looks on the heart.” 

1 Samuel 16:7

 

“Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature; for I have rejected him.” (emphasis mine)

 

I like to imagine that Eliab was the “Dwayne Johnson” of his time. He had everything a man would

want. He was a first born, an ultimate warrior, had the voice, and so on. Who wouldn’t want to be like him?

But the Lord rejected him!

The Lord only rejects those who reject Him (Matthew 10:33) so that’s what must have happened here.

Eliab trusted in himself. He didn’t need YAH.

His confidence was in himself. He didn’t look to YAH for help.

We can conclude that Eliab didn’t have a relationship with YAH.

 

There is a lesson we can take from this.

Where is your confidence? Are you depending on yourself, your resources, your education,

your upbringing?

Are those things stopping you from trusting the Lord.

The word is very clear about what YAH is looking at? He is not impressed with our show of strength.

He wants us to look to Him. He wants a relationship with us.

While Eliab was wrapped up in himself, David his brother was in the field getting closer to YAH.

His relationship with YAH was getting stronger and stronger.

He trusted the Lord completely. The Lord was his consuming passion night and day. He

communed with the Lord daily. He sang songs to Him.

 

The Lord called him a man after His own heart.

The Lord wants our hearts friends not our “strength”.

He is not impressed when we try to go at life on our own steam.

He wants to be first in our lives, not second.

He wants our hearts set on Him and nothing else.

 

ACT ON IT – Is the Lord first in your life?

What is stopping Him from being first?

 

Bless you friends

Rolain

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is another level…….

“Arise [from depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you – rise to a

new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory

of the Lord has risen upon you”

Isaiah 60:1

 

There is another level to move up to in the new year.

This is what has been on my mind in the past few weeks. The level I have been on has been great

for the things I have done so far but that needs to change.

This isn’t about new year resolutions. This is about my life and your life.

Consider this, there is another level, a higher level to operate from than the one you are now.

In your relationship with God, there is another level you can go to. You can go deeper in your

relationship with Him.

There is a new level of revelation, a new level of sensitivity to His voice, a new level of hunger for

His word, a new level of prayer you can go to…..

In your career, there is another level you can go to, in your personal life, there is a new level of

growth you can go to.

I could go on and on but I think you get the picture.

We need to understand God has more in store for us, so we don’t stop dreaming, so we don’t

stop aspiring. No matter your age, it’s not time to slow down. It is time to pick it up, it’s time to

advance, it’s time to pursue, it’s time to engage because there is more, there is another level for us.

Our light is growing brighter and brighter.

 

“But the path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous is like the light of dawn,

that shines more and more (brighter and clearer) until [it reaches its full strength and glory in]

the perfect day [to be prepared].

Proverbs 4:18

 

So what about doubts, limitations, hesitations, fears and a host of other things that are holding us

back from going to the new level? They are not going to just sit back and let that happen without a fight.

I can’t ignore the fact that it’s because of those things I am still on this level. I have been too weak

to advance on my own. I failed countless times. So why would this be different?

Aren’t I doomed already? Aren’t we all doomed to fail?

 

That would be true if we were trying to do this in our own strength. YAH is with us and no matter the

amount of times we have fallen and failed He has picked us up and will continue to.

We can’t give up, we can’t lose hope!

YAH will take us to the new level if we truly look to Him.

Even though we haven fallen we still have hope! The things that have held us back will not be able to

hold us back for ever. YAH will win for us because He has already won the war.

Trust Him, cry out to Him for your life.

You don’t have to remain in the same place. It’s time to arise……..

 

“Arise [from depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you – rise to a

new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory

of the Lord has risen upon you”

Isaiah 60:1

 

Blessings to you friends!

 

Rolain

 

Is the Lord’s love for us fair……??

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

“As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to

tell you, for you are highly esteemed.

Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision. “

Daniel 9:23

 

“for you are highly esteemed”

 

For a long time I always thought this statement was reserved for Daniel only. In my mind

It was expected that YAH would think about Daniel in that way. He loved the Lord in

such a unique way! He is one of my heroes.

That statement could not possibly refer to me as well. How could I compare myself with Daniel. There is no way

YAH would think the same of me the way He thought about Daniel. It just wasn’t

possible. And that’s what I thought….

 

“He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to 

speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you. “

Daniel 10:11, 12

 

“Daniel, you who are highly esteemed”

 

But thinking about that a bit more recently I realized I was looking at this all wrong.

In His eyes I AM highly esteemed and that has nothing to do with anything I have

done.

Daniel wasn’t highly esteemed by the Father because of the exploits he did.

The love YAH had for Daniel was because of His abundant mercy and grace!

Daniel loved YAH and lived a life that was set apart for Him but to say that was why

he was highly esteemed by YAH is wrong.

So what does all this mean for us??

 

It means we are highly esteemed and more! YAH’s love for us cannot be explained or put

into words.

Like Daniel, His love for us is intense.

His love for us is consistent. It will never fluctuate.

 

The conclusion is this, you are highly esteemed by Him and don’t

let anyone tell you otherwise!

 

Bless you friends…..

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s get our focus right….

Good day to you all!

I hope and pray I find you all well.

I was watching something on “America’s got talent” the other day.

It got me thinking about how many talent shows they are now.

Do I even dare begin to name them all??  I think not.

But that show got me thinking.

I don’t think it’s possible to count the amount of talented people

there are in the world.

We have an endless supply of talented people.

There is always someone better, faster, intelligent, richer, and

stronger. There is no shortage of talent in the world.

 

We celebrate talent. We reward talent in ways people can only

imagine. Becoming talented has become the main goal.

We are no longer satisfied to be number two, three or four.

We have to be first. We must be recognized.

We must have the shoes, the car, the house, and more.

We focus on the external and forget about the internal.

We abandon character, integrity, modesty and other inner

things all in the pursuit of talent.

We have lost what’s really important.

 

“So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said,

“Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at

his physical stature, because I have refused him.

For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the

outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:6-7

 

God had rejected Eliab! Samuel missed it. He looked at everything

on the outside and thought, “this is the man the Lord has

chosen.”

But the word says, God refused him!

 

God wasn’t impressed with the muscles and how many men he

killed in battle. He wasn’t impressed with how intelligent

he was. Eliab probably didn’t have a relationship with God.

He probably had a proud heart.

I don’t think Eliab worked on his inner man much.

I don’t think things like character and integrity were important

to him.  And because he didn’t work on the inner man God rejected

him!

Let’s look at one more scripture,

 

“You are blessed when you get your inside world – your mind

and heart – put right.

Then you can see God in the world. “

Matthew 5:8

 

Let God come in and put your inside world right.

God wants your heart.

He wants you to be a man or woman of character.

It’s okay to have talent, but don’t make it the main thing.

Blessings to you….

 

Rolain

The inside job!

 

“So observe and practice all they tell you; but do not do

what they do, for they preach, but do not practice. “

Matthew 23:3

 

Jesus was speaking to the multitudes and his disciples about the

Pharisees. The things they did were so crazy.

 

“Now Jesus turned to address His disciples, along with the

crowd that had gathered with them.

The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in

God’s law. You won’t go wrong in following their teachings on

Moses. But be careful about following them.

They talk a good line, but they don’t live it. They don’t take it

into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It’s all

spit-and-polish veneer.

 

Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer

shawls one day and flowery prayers the next.

They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking

in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance

of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting

called ‘Doctor’ and ‘Reverend’.”

Matthew 23:1-9

 

They were all about the outward man. They

wanted to be seen, they wanted to be respected, and a whole

heap of other things but they missed something very

important – the inner man. They were not interested about who

they were on the inside. Let me share a scripture with you that

will bring more understanding of what I am saying,

 

“You’re blessed when you get your inside world-your mind and 

heart-put right. 

Then you can see God in the outside world.”

Matthew 5:8

 

How much time are you putting into working on the inner man?

How much time are you putting into changing the way you think?

How much time are you putting into developing your character?

How much time and effort are you putting into loving God with

all of you?

The Pharisees focused on the wrong things.

Because of that they missed Jesus.

If we are to grow in our relationship with God we need to take

more time focusing on the inner man.

We need to be real with ourselves about who we are and bring

it to Jesus. Where is your heart? Where is your mind?

Are you becoming like Christ daily?

Let’s not make the same mistake the Pharisees made.

Let’s get the inside man right first.

 

 

What’s the point of being in a position of power and influence

but you lie, cheat, steal, tear down people, and gossip??

Who are you helping if you have all the money in the

world but are rude, arrogant, brash, cruel, angry

all the time, unloving, uncaring and so on???

 

Let’s take more time working on the inner man. You are blessed

when you do that.

Bless you friends

 

Rolain

 

 

 

Can God still use me??

 

Ever wonder if you can still be used by God? Well, a friend

sent me a poem that encouraged me so much regarding this

very thing. We can still be used by God, friends.

In fact, He is using us as long as we are open hearted and willing

to be used.

 

A USEFUL AND BETTER TOOL

 

If you want to be like those of old,

Who were sent to win the world,

Here’s the secret of their precious lives:

 

They held still enough, so Jesus’ words could be poured into them.

They were weak enough, so that His light could shine through them.

And yet strong enough, so they could be used by Him.

Dependant enough on Him to pull them through.

And willing enough just to be His vessels and His tools.

 

Their torch has now passed onto you.

God’s purpose must be fulfilled.

If you are wondering what to do

and how best you can do His will?

The secret is still the same.

Close to Him you must remain.

And this is all that you must do.

 

Hold still enough, so Jesus love can be poured into you.

Be weak enough so that His light can shine through you.

Yet be strong enough so that He can use you

and dependent on Him to pull you through.

And that’s how He’ll make of you a better tool.

– author unknown

 

Blessings to you friends!!

 

Rolain

An occupied heart.

As the new year fast approaches I want to touch on something.

Last week I touched on the importance of humbling ourselves.

If you missed that post you can read it here.

This week I want to touch on the heart. Does God have your

heart? Why am I asking such a seemingly “obvious” question?

Maybe it’s not really that obvious……

 

It all started when I was singing, “when I lost my heart to you

Hallelujah“from Hillsong United’s new album Empires.

There is a line I kept singing which says,

“You have my heart”

 

As I kept singing that over and over I thought to myself,

Does He really have my heart??

As I look back at the year I see how I have struggled in my

relationship with Him. My heart has not been entirely here.

I have ignored Him A LOT, got distracted, had times where

I didn’t talk to Him, worshipped other idols…..shucks!

It’s been a challenging year and I allowed the challenges

to come between me and Him!

So as I sang that line I realised my heart was very occupied but

not with Him. God doesn’t want a part of my heart…..

He wants my whole heart!

 

“I will punish her for the days of the Baals to which she burned

incense. She decked herself with her earrings and jewelery,

and went after her lovers; But Me she forgot, says the Lord.

Hosea 2:13

 

This passage depicts where I was at. I was the one who forgot

the Lord, I was the one who chased after other idols……

My heart was far from the Lord.

When I had a choice to seek the Lord I would

occupy myself with something else but Him. It breaks my

heart thinking about that. My heart is reserved for God and I

want Him to have it all!

In His mercy and great love He still chases after me! He

hasn’t given up on me. I don’t deserve His attention. I have done

nothing to warrant it yet He still pursues me!

 

Therefore, behold, I will allure her,

will bring her into the wilderness,

and speak comfort to her.

 

She shall sing there,

As in the days of her youth,

As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.

And it shall be, in that day,

says the Lord,

That you will call me, My Husband

And no longer call Me, My Master,

For I will take from her mouth the names of the baals,

And they shall be remembered by their name no more.

Hosea 2:14-17

 

Even though God’s people rejected Him and chased other idols,

He pursued them relentlessly. I am so grateful He chases

after me relentlessly! He is doing the same for you.

Don’t stop chasing after me Lord!

My heart is yours…..!!

 

Keep your heart with all diligence,

for out of it spring the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:23

 

I was supposed to guard my heart, I was not supposed

to let anything in but I failed, I gave my heart away!

When I think of this scripture

I think of a husband and wife.

A true wife will guard her heart from other men.

She will not allow other men in because she loves her

husband. She doesn’t have to be taught to do that but out

of a deep, unshakable, love for him she will protect her heart

with everything in her. Her heart is reserved for her husband

and him alone!

So it is with her husband. He will not flirt with other women,

he will not entertain the idea of being with another woman

because he loves his wife. He too will protect his heart because

of his love for his wife.

His heart and affection will be towards his wife alone, and

he will not compromise!

 

As it is with husband and wife it should be so with me. If my

heart is truly His I will do everything to protect my heart.

Yes, I am a sinner and yes I will fail at times but I will fight

to guard my heart because He loves me and I love Him!

I won’t entertain anything else. I won’t give my heart away

to anything else that would take me away from God because

my heart belongs to Him!

 

I should be complete at this moment and not looking for

something to complete me. He should be enough for me!

He should be all that I need….because HE IS all that I need!

Because of the price He paid I am complete, I am

whole!

 

Where are you at? Does your heart fully belong to God,

or is it occupied with other things?

Have other things crept in and taken His place?

In this coming year make a decision to consume yourself

with Him alone. He is our Savior and He wants all of us,

not part of us!

He pursues us because He loves us.

 

He has my heart! When I surrendered my life to Him all those

years ago I surrendered my heart to Him. What I need to do is

consistently check myself. I need to constantly check the state

of my heart because the truth is that the enemy wants my

heart as well. he will do everything in his power to have it but

it’s taken! My heart belongs to God and I must guard it. But

I am not alone because the Holy Spirit is with me. He will help me, ‘

and He will help you if that is your desire. And that is so

encouraging!

 

 

Prayer

I am so sorry Lord for occupying my heart with other things.

I am so sorry for chasing after idols.

My heart is Yours so I ask for Your help.

Help me to guard my heart.

help me to keep my heart set on You and You alone!

Take this occupied heart and fill it anew with You….

Just You Lord!

I love You.

Amen…..

 

Rolain

 

 

The arrogance of man….

And Saul built an altar to the Lord;

It was the first altar he built to the

Lord.  1 Samuel 14:35

 

Saul built an altar to God. It was probably the only

altar he built to God.

Why he built the altar is not really clear but the point

is this, he built an altar.

Saul building that altar almost seems out of context.

In fact, it’s so out of Saul’s norm that the word says,

 

“It was the first altar he built to God.”

 

Building an altar meant on a very rare

occasion Saul remembered God, he honored God!

It was one of those very rare occasions where

Saul put God first, where Saul stopped to thank

God.

The altar that Saul built tells us a lot about where

his relationship with God was. He didn’t build altars

which meant something.

 

On the other hand let’s look at David.

Building an altar wasn’t out of context for him.

He built countless altars to God. That also said

something about his relationship with God.

David was a man after God’s heart. God was the

most important thing to him….

 

David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:1-5)

David kills Uriah (2 Samuel 11:14-23)

In both these situations David repented to God.

He confessed his sins and asked God to forgive him.

His heart broke because of what he did.

 

David counts his people (2 Samuel 24:1-9)

After counting the people the word says:

David felt ashamed after he counted the people

and said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in

what I did! Lord, I beg you, forgive me for my

sin. I have been very foolish.”

2 Samuel 24:10

 

Once again David humbled himself before God.

He confessed his sin to God quickly!

 

David wants to build a house for God.

(2 Samuel 7:1-18)

Even in peace David still sought the Lord.

He never forgot Him!

 

This is what I am trying to show you,

We need to be like David who built countless

altars to God. He loved God so much. Yes,

he sinned many times but he always turned 

to God. No matter how bad things got he

always turned to God and even in good times

he still turned to thank God!

 

Saul didn’t put God first a lot of the time.

Some would say he was proud. He believed

he could make it on his own. He was a skilled

warrior who was a “head taller” than everyone

else. (1 Samuel 9:2)

Whatever the case we must aim to be like

David who humbled himself before God.

He never relied on his own strength. Instead,

he relied on God and ALWAYS turned to

God, always……

The goal is not to be David but it’s to take

those things that made his relationship

with God stronger and apply them to

our lives.

The goal is not to discredit or attack

Saul but it’s to look at his life and

learn from his mistakes. We all sin

so attacking Saul would be foolish…

 

God wants us to put Him first….

Pride will always resist God.

We need to be humble and allow

God to lead us.

Rolain

 

 

Eleven days…….

 

It is [only] eleven days journey from Horeb by the way of

Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea [on Canaan’s border;

yet Israel took forty years to get beyond it]. Deuteronomy 1:2

 

I have heard so many teachings on this passage right here.

And in nearly all the teachings I have heard on this scripture

it would always be about how Israel sinned,

“Just imagine if Israel obeyed the Lord”, they would say.

Their journey would have taken eleven days, only eleven

days!!!

 

I think it is something to think about but at the same time I think

there is more to the story.

As human beings we will always sin. Yes, Israel went to the extreme

in the wilderness but sins are sins. They could off taken eleven days

if they were perfect but they were not and instead it took them forty

years!

Just imagine if they managed to make it in eleven days???

There would be no stories of disobedience and rebellion,

lack of trust and so on. Nothing would of being dealt with!

The Israelite’s needed the forty years! In that time there

was death, repentance, and a whole lot of other things

that needed to take place. This is how the word puts it:

 

And you shall [earnestly] remember all the way which the Lord

your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble

and to prove you, to know what was in your [mind and] heart,

whether you would keep His commandments or not.

And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger and fed you

with manna, which you did not know nor did your fathers know,

that He might make you realize and personally know that man

does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that

proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Deuteronomy 8:2, 3

 

God LED Israel for forty years so He could reveal what was

in their hearts! More precisely He wanted to know if their

hearts were devoted to Him……

He wanted them to make Him first in their hearts!

The Israelite’s went through so much in the forty years. They

would of missed out on so much if they took eleven days!

 

Let’s bring this home……

Just imagine it took you eleven days to get to the place God had

for you??? A measly eleven days!!!

I was a mess and it’s taken me at least fifteen years to begin to

get out of it but there is still much work to be done! I fail God

daily, I abandon Him daily, like Peter I disown Him by my

actions a lot, when I should be praying I watch TV or

something crazy like that.

But the good news is, from the first step I took on this journey

there has been growth. My relationship with God has deepened.

I have seen Him in a new way. My faith in Him has become

stronger. The failures, the hard times, the times of doubt, the

chastening, have drawn me closer to God.

I needed the forty years, as hard and difficult as they are,

I needed them!

What about you? Do you wish it would take you eleven days?

God wants to know what’s in your heart. He will test you

in the desert. He will allow times of hunger so He can

humble you so you can know His words are all you need!

Know this, God has a plan for you in the wilderness!

You are not there by mistake……

God has allowed times of hunger to test you, will you look to

Him or will you complain and murmur??

Will you lose your faith in Him in those times??

 

Teach me Your way, Lord, that I may rely on Your faithfulness;

give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.

Psalm 86:11

 

What an amazing prayer! Lord, give me an undivided heart!

I have allowed so many things to have a piece of my heart.

This heart that should be ALL Yours!

So I pray, give me an UNDIVIDED heart Lord!

God wants Your heart. Not a piece but all of your heart.

Fight those things that have contended for it….He is all you

need.

 

Rolain