You turn my weeping into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

Psalm 30:11-12

I’ve got reason to cry and dwell, in the land of no return. I’ve got reason to hurt and hate, where the fires eternally burn.

But my heart has found full healing, my ashes turned to a rose. In the Lord, I’ve placed my troubles, in Him my garden Grows.

He’s turned my weeping into dancing, my wailing into beautiful song. He’s turned my hate into love abounding, my hurt is forever gone.

From the pit, He rescued me, so many years ago. From the ocean, my feet may fail, yet He will never let me go.

There are many things that hurt us and cause the heart to break. But God’s all consuming healing love, no one can ever take.

He’s turned my weeping into dancing, my wailing into beautiful song. He’s turned my hate into love abounding, my hurt is forever gone.

Ish- Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to David.

2 Samuel 2:10

We may find ourselves placed in one community but God has called us to have a heart for the world.

It’s very easy to lead well where you are liked. It’s very easy to fit in where others are like you. But when Jesus was leaving this earth he told his disciples to follow after him and go into all the world and make disciples of every nation.

David was a good shepherd, much like Jesus was when he walked this earth. He led the people around him well but he also went into other communities and led those people as well. David was called by God as a young boy to be king over all of his people. And David having a heart after God didn’t take the call lightly but also didn’t take the call into his own hands. He trusted God with the timing and the path. David had to learn how to be patient, how to listen well, and how to grow in wisdom and stature.

David faithfully followed king Saul even when king Saul was trying to kill him. He Mourned King Saul‘s death even though king Saul hated him in life. He allowed Ish-Bosheth, Saul’s son to be crowned king after Saul’s death, even though David knew God had called him to be king over all of Israel. Then David reigned patiently over Judah for 2 years, while also welcoming the thoughts of all of Israel.

He was a good and faithful king to his people but he was also willing to listen to all of Israel because he knew that was God’s desire for him.

All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them.

2 Samuel 3:36

There’s an opportunity every day for us to be like the good shepherd, for us to lead the people around as well, as well as listen to those who are unlike us. God wants us to shepherd our sheep and that means going after those that have strayed. When we listen to the thoughts of those that are unlike us, we are being willing to hear all of God’s creation. We by no means have to agree with all, but when we listen to all we can grow closer to God. We can weigh all thoughts, all opinions, all things against the truth, God’s Word.

For all of my children’s life, I’ve taught them to not go with the crowd. Don’t just have a stance because that’s what everyone like you believes. I’ve told them to listen to all people and then take what you hear and take it to God. Pray about it, let it weigh on you, search for it in scripture, and let the Holy Spirit lead you. Then you will make decisions out of Truth and not out of circumstance or feelings.

God has called us to the whole world, and if we are closed off to the world and only open to those like us, we are losing the world instead of saving it. We have to be opened handed to be open hearted so that the hurt of all people will break our hearts wide open for God. Daily I’ve been praying for God to break my heart for what breaks his, so that I don’t fall in the pattern of only seeing things through the eyes of my current circumstance, community, people, situation.

David loved his people, the people of Judah, but God’s call on him was for all of Israel. He could’ve just led the people of Judah and overtaken the people of Israel to lead them, but God wanted him to open his heart to what the people of Israel had to say. And when he followed God’s leading and not the leading of his heart, David made good decisions that lead all of the people to love him and eventually crown him king of ALL of Israel.

We need to be like David, lead the people around us well by being willing to listen well to all people. Then change will happen and love will overcome. God called us to the world, and that starts right where you are.

David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

1 Samuel 30:6

These days there seems to be more and more loss, and in the loss many don’t know where to turn. But I believe this has been a hurt than many have carried for years and years.

David and his men have been out battling other countries when they were told to go home. As they arrive, the men find their homes destroyed, ravaged by the Amalekites. All of their things were taken, including their most treasured items, their families. The men with David were so distraught that they let their grief turn to anger and they began to turn on David. David was fearful for his life, but he found renewed strength by God and knew he needed to seek Him for guidance.

Suffering great loss can cause confusion, it can turn our world completely upside-down. It can…But it doesn’t have to.

Then David said to Abiathon the priest, the son of Ahimelak, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathon brought it to him, and David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”

1 Samuel 30:7-8

David sought the Lord in his grief and God told him to go after the Amalekites and take his family and all he’d lost back. And David did this, he went out in his grief and found strength from God. David retrieved everything back plus extra plunder. He received more than what he lost because he sought God in his loss and God provided ABUNDANTLY.

We can allow loss to cause bitterness and anger like the Israelites felt toward David, but what will that prosper us? We gain nothing in loss when we let loss control us. But in loss, when we allow grief to point us to the LORD we will gain strength in Him and He will use the loss to grow us. This growth will look different for each person depending on the loss experienced, but no matter what, if we seek God in it He will use it for our Good and His Glory. There will be sleepless nights and heartache, but there will also be beauty from the ashes of our loss.

Loss of my innocence as a small child gave me a heart for hurting children and allowed me the opportunity to help hundreds and thousands of children worldwide. Loss of my self worth as a teenager gave me a heart for women of all ages to find their worth in God and allows me to share with women daily on a deeper level. Loss of my finances gave me a heart for women struggling to make ends meet and enabled me to help Single Brave Moms across the state to go after the life God envisioned for them. Loss of a baby and child gave me a heart for all people who experience loss of a loved one and grieve deeply daily. This loss enables me to share the Peace, Joy, and Strength I find only in my relationship with Him with others all over the World.

Out of my loss, I don’t have Bitterness, I have Strength from Him Alone. In my seeking, I find Him and In His guidance I have been Given so much More, Abundantly More than I could ever ask or imagine. He has given me a love and light for You!

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 16:11

God reveals to us the path of life and the world leads us on a road to death.

Please pay no attention, my lord, to the wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name — his name means a fool, and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent.

1 Samuel 25:25

Nabal was marked on a road to death. Denying David and his men anything to eat after they protected his men and sheep in the wilderness while he partied his life away, David was having no way with it and he was heading to kill Nabal and all of his people. But one of Nabal’s men recognized his foolish ways and went to his wife Abigail to tell her what Nabal had done.

Just because the people around you are going in one direction doesn’t mean it is the only direction or the right direction to take.

Abigail had a choice to make. She found herself at a fork in the road, follow her husbands foolish ways or follow the path to David pleading for her life. Abigail knew what was right even if it wasn’t what her husband wanted, and her right decision led to saving many lives. Nabal, on the other hand was saved from death by David, but still found death at the hand of God. And as life would have it, Nabal’s death led David to ask Abigail to be his wife.

Abigail’s decision to follow the path marked by God lead her to a vibrant life as wife to a king.

Same goes for us. Choosing to follow the Lord leads us to a life filled with Joy, but choosing to follow the world leads from life to death.

I’m not saying the path the Lord reveals will be peachy keen jelly bean because the path of life has many trials. But on this particular path, the trials that will be there are filtered through the hands of God and lightened by His Presence. He will give us Peace and Joy among the trials, and provide us with the Hope of an eternal heavenly kingdom in the end. All the While the path of the world will have trials as well, but no peace is found, confusion abounds, and no joy or Hope will avail. Continuance on the path of the world will lead to death like Nabal with no Hope of a Heavenly Home awaiting.

I don’t know about you, but I desire the path of life. I desire to follow after the Lord even if everyone else is heading in another direction. The other path may seem more fun or easier in the moment, but I’d rather be in the presence of King Jesus for Eternity.

Abigail chose the right path which led to life and love that was unexpected. She was given life by being humble and given marriage to a king because of her faithfulness.

What path do you choose? The path of the world that leads to death or the path of the Lord that leads to eternal life?

May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you.

1 Samuel 24:12

Do you have those people that come at you? Maybe they talk about you behind your back? And out of nowhere you have an opportunity for revenge, an opportunity to pay them back for all the hurt and harm they’ve caused you. But what’s your move?

King Saul had been chasing after David, ready to kill him at any moment, but all of a sudden the tables turned and David now had the opportunity to make the move against king Saul. David cut a piece of Sauls robe, he was so close, but he couldn’t harm Saul. David knew Saul was anointed by God, and no matter how evil he was, David wouldn’t harm him. In fact, David felt so bad about even cutting his robe, he went out from hiding to tell Saul what he’d done.

Because of David‘s faithfulness there was a turning point, and King Saul recognized the good David did and acknowledged that he would one day be a king.

From our move, there can be a turning point in our story as well.

We have opportunities, like David’s, all the time. We could take revenge on someone that has hurt us, but if we are following after the Lord‘s heart, instead, we should do the unlikely. The unlikely move is to flip the world on its head and address the hurter with kindness.

We are all God’s children, created in His Likeness, but born into a sinful world. None of us are perfect, especially not me. But if we choose to look at each other as the Child of God that they are, not noticing the speck in their eye and ignoring the log in our own, we have the opportunity to make the right move.

We can move in the way of Jesus, The Way of Love and Kindness, Grace and Mercy. Showing Kindness to the hurter because it’s hurt people that hurt people.

When we have the opportunity to show Christ’s love to someone that has been ill bent on hurting us, it may be the biggest turning point in their lives. They may finally see the True Christ and have a change of heart.

It hard, REAL Hard, I know first hand. You don’t know how often I have to intentionally close my mouth. But if my heart is truly following after God I will try my HARDEST to make the right move for Him.

What’s your move?

Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they to have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.” But the kings officials were unwilling to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.

1 Samuel 22:17

In life you may be asked to do things by your boss, a leader around you, maybe even a parent or respected family member, that is so wrong. You know it’s wrong, the Spirit within you tells you it’s wrong, but what do you do?

King Saul is in hot pursuit of David, ready to kill him as soon as he reaches him. One of the priests didn’t realize that David was running from the king and gave him food and weapons for the journey he was on. When Saul found out about this he was so filled with jealousy and evil, he demanded that his guards kill this priest and all his family (85 people in all). But the guards knew this was wrong and they refused.

Don’t compromise the truth no matter the consequence.

The Bible doesn’t say what happened to the guards for refusing to kill the priests, but for denying the king it could’ve meant death for them. Yet these men still chose to do what was right even if it took their life.

When we are asked to do something by someone in power over us that we know is wrong, it can be very hard to do what’s right. They could fire us, demote us, ostracize us, promote someone over us, unfriend us, despise us, even cause our life to feel like death. But the right thing is still the best thing because we will be right with God.

Earthly consequences for doing the right thing can be sharp but momentary, yet our heavenly reward for doing the right thing in a hard moment will last for eternity.

Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God? You practice deceit, your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor. You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. You love every harmful Word, you deceitful tongue! Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: he will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at you, saying, “here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!” But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God‘s unfailing love for ever and ever. For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good.

Psalm 52

No matter the consequence, if the Holy Spirit is nudging me that saying yes to something is wrong, I will not do it. I can’t go against God. I don’t care what the consequence is for me this side of heaven. I’m not compromising the Truth.

I’m sure you like me, have been put into circumstances where you have to make a decision on whether to do the right thing and be right with God or doing the wrong thing but being right with man. If I know in my heart it’s wrong, I will do the right thing every time, but I’ve made mistakes. However, when I realize I’ve made a mistake, it weighs on my heart and like David, I ask God to forgive me and I repent….aka make things right even if it physically, mentally, and/or emotionally hurts.

Doing the right thing wins in the end every time! Don’t compromise the Truth.

Jonathon got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his fathers shameful treatment of David.

1 Samuel 20:34

Father, break my heart for what break yours.

Injustice — mistreatment of another person or thing — should grieve our hearts like it’s grieves God’s.

Jonathan loved David and saw all the good in him. He couldn’t believe his father, king Saul, would want to harm David. But as Jonathon told his father why David was unable to be at the feast, Saul became infuriated and tried to kill Jonathon as well. Jonathon was angry, but more than anger he was grieved at the injustice he witnessed at the hands of his father and he got up to leave.

We live in a broken world. A world filled with injustice of all types. Sadly, we tend to get bent on one, maybe two, different injustices, Lacking compassion for any of the others. We think the injustice we see is greater than the injustice another sees, but God sees them all.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18

We can’t single-handedly stop all the injustice in the world, but we can open our eyes to see all the injustice, and like Jonathan, grieve them. Seeing injustice and recognizing it for what it is, allowing it to grieve us, will bring compassion in us to make a change.

God desires to change the world but for there to be change in the world there first must be change in each of us.

We are all created in Gods image. As image bearers of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We have to look through the eyes of God and see what he sees: all things created by God and all things created good. So if all things are created by God and he called them all good, then when something is coming against them our heart should hurt.

The hurt in our heart is grief. Grief utilized for healing is compassion in action.

After my youngest son Hayden passed away, my entire family was grieving. Grief can cause much anger and sadness, and I knew if we didn’t look to the injustices of others we could allow our grief to hold us down. But by putting our grief into action for the hurting of others we grew compassion for their hurts. We didn’t allow grief to hold us down, but we utilized grief to help others up. Over a weekend, my husband and I took our family into a poorer area of town to help clean the streets and homes, so that beauty could be brought into the ashes they had. Being able to help the elderly and families in this community, helped our hearts to heal even more.

Jonathon set out to find David and tell him what king Saul was going to do. He allowed his grief to become compassion in action and he protected David from the injustice of his father. He didn’t try to have justice on his father, he just stood up and walked out on injustice and allowed compassion to help the one the injustice was upon.

God does not want us to hurt those who are hurting others. God wants us to help those who are being hurt.

And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: “this is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’

Zechariah 7:8-10

God is just and will have justice, but through his Holy Spirit he gives us passion to have compassion wherever injustice is found. So let Your heart be broken for what breaks His, and your eyes be opened to what he Sees.

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

Psalm 59:16

We all have enemies but we don’t all have to fear our enemies because there’s another place to turn.

Because of sin, everyone will have enemies. Often we think of enemies in another country wanting to go to war against a nation, but individually we can have enemies right next-door. Anyone who thinks maliciously of us is our enemy and as much as I don’t want to think someone thinks that way of me, I know I’m wrong.

I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight!

Psalm 59:4

King Saul was jealous of David. He was jealous that the people loved David, that his son loved David, that his daughter loved David, and this jealousy made king Saul despise David. What started as a good relationship, a healthy relationship, David calming Saul with a harp, David defeating Goliath, became a fearful relationship with Saul trying with all of his might to kill David.

David became Sauls enemy when jealousy entered Sauls heart. And jealousy, it’s a killer.

We have to remember that our enemy is just a clay pot like you and I. It is sin poured in that breaks cracks in the clay making our enemy despise us. Yet when Jesus fills each crack of the earthen pot, darkness and sin pours out and light shines through the cracks to become a beacon of light for all to see.

David was doing only what God had called him to do, but Satan Doesn’t like to see us doing the will of God. Satan uses our sin nature to try and turn us from our God. But when we stay faithful to God on the path he has called us, he can turn our enemy away from us.

So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth.

1 Samuel 19:23

None of Saul’s men could reach David because God continued to protect him, so Saul took it in his own hands to find and kill David. But God, he is our fortress and our refuge in times of trouble. He came over Saul and turned him away from attacking David as well.

Our enemies may never turn from being our enemies, but God can turn them away from harming us.

As much as I’d love to have everyone love me, be my true friend, not speak ill of me, I can’t change their heart. And in all actuality it is Satan who doesn’t want us to love one another because love is from God because God is love.

So sin stands in the way of peace.

I don’t know about you, maybe you can handle the words and actions of others better than I can, maybe you are stronger than I am, But when people dislike me, talk about me, try to harm me, it hurts me.

Yet as long as I continue to walk with God, continue to allow him to mold and make me into who he wants me to be, he protects me from my enemies attacks.

God has the ability to change their direction, and as I pray for my enemy, he also has the ability to change their heart.

Yes, as hard as it is to think, we all have enemies, and some may be closer than we even realize, our true enemy isn’t the person but the sin in the person caused by Satan in the world. He is the one that wants us against God and if he can do it through an enemy he will.

So, when you see your enemy, when you feel the arrows of their heart hurting you, remember they can’t harm you as long as you stay close to God. And if you want to see even greater change, begin to pray for your enemy, and trust that even God has the ability to change their heart.

Don’t allow your enemies sin to compromise your heart for the Lord. He is your rock and your fortress, your ever present refuge in times of trouble.

David said to Saul, let no one lose heart on account of the Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.

1 Samuel 17:32

Confidence in the call comes from faith in the right place.

“Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of the Philistine.” Saul to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

1 Samuel 17:36-37

Even though David was just a shepherd boy, he had already seen God work in his life. He had put his trust in God before he fulfilled any task. David met a lion and a bear in an open field, and he knew he was able to kill them because God was with him. He didn’t shrink away because they were ferocious animals able to take him down with one flick of the paw, David didn’t just try to hide his sheep so they didn’t get harmed; no, David, had faith that God had enabled him to take those animals down. So, David went after them and killed them so they would never bother his sheep again.

As David walks up to the battle and hears Goliath taunting the army of God’s people, David knew Goliath wasn’t just saying the people weren’t able, but that God wasn’t able.

David said to the Philistine, “you come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there’s a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lords, and he will give all of you into our hands.

1 Samuel 17:45-47

This young shepherd boy was able because he knew his God was able.

It wasn’t by David’s might, the armies strength, the weapons they had or the keen military sense that they would win the battle. David and Israel would win this battle by the Lord alone and all the world would know.

Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he’s slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.

1 Samuel 17:49

With a small stone and a BIG God, the battle was WON.

Honestly, that’s how it always goes in the battle, and God doesn’t even need the stone or the shepherd boy. You are able because God is able.

The battle you are in, or the battle that you are walking into, can be won. You are not too small, too young, too big, too old, too uneducated, too late, or too weak, you are just right if you trust in a God who is always ABLE.

Head into the battle like David. David only utilized the gifts he’s been given. He didn’t add anything to it and he didn’t take anything away. He brought his faith as his strength and he let Goliath know.

Here’s an easy way to approach every battle with an ABLE spirit:

• A – Address the Giant. Let whatever giant is in front of you know what you know about God.
• B – Believe in Jesus Christ as your LORD and Savior. Faith as small as a mustard seed can move any mountain, even if it takes time.
• L – Leave the extras Behind. Only use the gifts God’s given specifically to you. You don’t need anything else for the battle.
• E – Engage the Giant. Take your faith in God and your stone and go at the battle head first.

David was ABLE because God is ABLE, and because God is ABLE, so are YOU!

So he asked Jessi, “are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jessi answered. “He is tending the sheep.“

1 Samuel 16:11

When thinking of a king, our earthly knowledge and fascination tends to lead us to the strongest, tallest, most handsome man around. But the thoughts of God are much different than the thoughts of man, and he looks for someone with his own heart to lead his people.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7

As God was choosing someone to lead his people, he wasn’t looking for someone that would make themselves known, he was looking for someone who would make him known. He was looking for someone who reflected his attributes to the people, someone who had his heart, a heart filled with love.

Someone who is chosen to lead is someone who is willing to serve.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right path for his name sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23

God can choose to use anyone for his work, but he chooses to use those with a humble heart. Someone willing to serve others, to lead them to Peace, to love them above themselves. God wants to use someone who looks out for the cares of others more than they care for themselves. This is the way of a shepherd this is the attitude and heart of David and the reflection of Jesus on earth.

When we strive and fight to be number one we are using our own might: always exhausted, never fulfilled, never ending. When we make God number one, we become humble servants, serving Him and others as He lifts our head and strengthens our hearts.

In some of my busiest and craziest moments you will see a smile on my face and I will dance around the room like there’s no tomorrow. That extra skip in my step is only from God because In those moments he is the one that gives me strength. When I keep my eyes on him and choose to serve him, I am able to serve others with all of my heart.

God chose me to lead others well. But he had to teach me how to do that.

Multiple times God has had to humble me, and I know full well when those times are. In those moments I am stressed, I am snappy, and I’m a bit short-fused. Those are the moments when I am trying to do things in my own strength. But as soon as I realize it, I readjust my stance, take time to rest, and make sure the only audience I’m looking to is God.

Truly the only way to be like the shepherd, the only way to lead like him, is by taking a step back, watching him walk, not trying to lead, but following along.

To be called to lead you must follow well. You must not have the last say but willing to listen to the last word.

To be called to lead, you must shepherd your flock well. You must be willing to do whatever it is you ask of another. And sometimes, what you need of another you must be willing to do first.

To lead like Jesus you need to be like Jesus. You need to lay down your life, take up your cross and help carry another’s. To be like Jesus you don’t need to be number one you need to make Him number One, because He was the unlikely One, the Humble One. He road into town on a donkey, washed His disciples feet, ate with the tax collectors and prostitutes, and bent down beside the humiliated woman in the sand.

If you are Chosen to Lead, keep your eyes on Jesus, by getting down on your knees and shepherding your flock well.