in the PRESENCE OF THE GOD OF THE
TURN AROUND
BY R TARUMBWA
I DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO THE HOLY SPIRIT WHICH INSPIRED ME TO POUR OUT ITS PROMPTING AND I GIVE GOD ALL THE GLORY AND PRAY THAT YOU WILL BE BLESSED.
FROM TRIAL TO BITTERNESS TO BLESSING
THERE IS ONLY ONE PERSON I KNOW WHO CAN TAKE RAGS AND TURN THEM INTO A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF CLOTH. THAT IS THE LIVING GOD, THE GOD OF THE TURN AROUND WHO DELIGHTS IN POSSIBILITIES ESPECIALLY THOSE OF THE IMPOSSIBLE ,HOPELESS SORT.
LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO NAOMI. NAOMI WENT FROM BITTERNESS TO BLESSING ALL MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GOD OF THE TURN AROUND.
I STARTED MY STUDY OF NAOMI IN THE BOOK OF RUTH. WHEN I MET NAOMI SHE WAS GOING THROUGH A LOT OF DIFFICULTIES IN HER LIFE, THE SEASON SHE WAS IN WAS THAT OF UNDESIRABLE CIRCUMSTANCES. NAOMI HAD TO MOVE FROM WHERE SHE LIVED WITH HER HUSBAND ELIMELECH BECAUSE OF A DROUGHT. SHE HAD TO LEAVE A PLACE SHE LOVED AND WAS USED TO IN SEARCH OF GREENER PASTURES. THAT IS A TOUGH ONE ANYONE THAT HAS HAD TO LEAVE WHAT THEY ARE USED TO AND GO TO A DIFFERENT PLACE MAY IDENTIFY WITH SOME OF THE FEELINGS SHE MUST HAVE FELT BUT NAOMI WAS AND IS A SURVIVOR AND SHE MOVED WITH HER FAMILY. RUTH 1:1
UNFORTUNATELY THAT WAS NOT THE END OF HARD TIMES FOR NAOMI. SHE SUFFERED ANOTHER SETBACK IN THE FORM OF HER HUSBAND’S DEATH RUTH 1:3
THE DEATH OF HER HUSBAND MUST HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING FOR HER, WIDOWED IN A FOREIGN LAND AND LEFT WITH HER SONS AND THEIR WIVES, OPRAH AND RUTH. AFTER TEN YEARS, HER SONS DIED AND SHE WAS LEFT ALONE. THE DESCRIPTION IN THE BIBLE OF HER CIRCUMSTANCES, AT THAT POINT SAY IT ALL, ‘SO THAT THE WOMAN WAS LEFT WITHOUT HER TWO SONS AND HER HUSBAND’
ITS AS IF THE LOSS AND HER CIRCUMSTANCES MADE HER LOSE HER IDENTITY SHE WAS REFERED TO AS ‘THE WOMAN’
HARD TRIALS AND GRIEF IN LIFE CAN LEAD TO A LOSS OF IDENTITY AS YOU END UP LOSING YOURSELF TO YOUR PROBLEMS AND SITUATIONS YOU ARE FACING. THAT IS THE POSITION NAOMI FOUND HERSELF OCCUPYING.
DESPITE ALL THE PROBLEMS THE SURVIVAL INSTINCT WITHIN NAOMI CAME TO THE FOREFRONT.NAOMI DECIDED TO GO BACK TO JUDAH AS THEY HAD BEEN BLESSED WITH AN ABUNDANT HARVEST. RUTH 1:6-7
NAOMI, DECIDED THAT SHE WANTED TO GO IT ALONE AND WANTED HER DAUGHTERS IN LAW TO GO BACK TO THEIR FAMILIES BUT RUTH REFUSED TO LEAVE HER. RUTH 1:8-18.
THE PROBLEMS, THAT WE FACE IN LIFE CAN SOMETIMES MAKE YOU FEEL SO DEPRESSED AND SO HOPELESS, THAT YOU DO NOT WANT ANYONE AROUND YOU, BUT NAOMI WAS BLESSED TO HAVE HAD RUTH, WHO DID NOT GIVE UP ON HER BUT VOWED TO STICK WITH HER TILL THE END. RUTH 1:8-18
IN OUR OWN LIVES, NO MATTER HOW HARD THE TIMES WE FACE, WE HAVE A HELPER AND COMPANION IN THE FORM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,WHO IS A COMFORTER IN TIMES OF TROUBLE AND CAN AND WANTS TO BE, ALL IN ALL TO US. WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE IN THAT WE HAVE A GOD WHO ACTUALLY ASKS US TO BRING OUR PROBLEMS TO HIM SO HE CAN SOLVE THEM AND GIVE US REST. PSALM 50:15; MATT 7:7-11
RUTH, BECAME THE CONSTANT IN NAOMI’S LIFE SHE WOULD NOT LEAVE HER. SHE WAS THE ONE PERSON WHO DID NOT LEAVE NAOMI AS HER FAMILY HAD ALL PASSED AWAY. RUTH 1:16-17. IN OUR LIVES WE HAVE A CONSTANT AS WELL AND THAT CONSTANT IS GOD WHO WILL NEVER LEAVE OR FORSAKE US NO MATTER THE TURMOIL SURROUNDING US. JEREMIAH 1:19; ISAIAH 43:1-2; ISAIAH 41:10.
NAOMI, THEN MADE A BOLD DECISION AND DECIDED TO GO BACK HOME, IT MUST HAVE BEEN A BITTER PILL TO SWALLOW. AFTER HAVING LEFT WITH ABUNDANCE AND THEN RETURNING WITH NOTHING. RUTH 1:19-21
SO OFTEN WE RETURN TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER WHEN WE HAVE RUN OUT OF OUR OWN STEAM AND REALISED WE CAN NOT MAKE IT, WITHOUT HIM! BUT THE BEST THING IS THAT GOD LOVES US SO MUCH AND WILL ALWAYS BE WAITING WITH ARMS WIDE OPEN TO RECEIVE US AND HEAVEN REJOICES WHEN WE RETURN HOME TO OUR FATHER. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE THE FEELING OF HAVING GOD’S LOVING ARMS AROUND YOU.
PREVIOUSLY WE TALKED ABOUT HOW LIFE CAN HAVE YOU LOSE YOUR IDENTITY AND END UP HAVING YOUR SITUATION OR CIRCUMSATNCE BECOME YOUR IDENTITY.THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT NAOMI DID, SHE NOLONGER WANTED TO BE CALLED NAOMI SHE WANTED TO BE CALLED MARA WHICH MEANS BITTERNESS. RUTH 1:20. NAOMI ENDED UP WEARING THE GARMENT OF BITTERNESS AND WANTED TO BE CALLED BY THAT GARMENT.NO MATTER WHERE YOU FIND YOURSELF YOU ARE NOT DEFINED BY YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, IF YOU ARE IN LACK YOU ARE NOT POVERTY IT IS NOT YOUR PORTION.
YOU CAN SENSE THE INADEQUACY AND FAILURE NAOMI FELT RUTH 1:21. THE WOMEN WHO HAD KNOWN HER BEFORE MUST HAVE BEEN SHOCKED TO SEE HER LIKE THAT AND MUST HAVE SPENT TIME TALKING ABOUT NAOMI’S FALL BUT WE SERVE A LIVING GOD WHO NEVER SLEEPS OR FORGETS, WHO IS A REDEEMER AND TURNS SITUATIONS AROUND.AT THAT POINT, ALL NAOMI SAW WAS HOW BAD HER LIFE WAS. SHE DID NOT KNOW GOD HAD ANOINTED HER TO BRING RUTH TO HER BLESSING AND BREAKTHROUGH. AS WELL BEING IN POSITION FOR GOD TO SUPERNATURALLY BLESS HER. STRESS FROM LIFE SITUATIONS WILL HAVE YOU THINKING, THIS IS IT AND YOUR LIFE WILL ALWAYS BE LIKE THAT AND OFTEN TIMES YOU CAN NOT SEE PAST YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES. BUT MOST OF THE TIME GOD USES TRIALS TO BRING US TO BLESSING. GOD USED NAOMI’S SUFFERING AS A PRELUDE TO HER BLESSING.
NAOMI DID NOT STARVE AS RUTH HAD FOUND FAVOUR WITH BOAZ.HE MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR RUTH TO BE SAFE WHILST SHE WAS AT WORK AND MADE SURE SHE ALWAYS HAD ENOUGH TO TAKE HOME . RUTH 2:18-20.THAT IS THE KIND OF GOD WE SERVE WHO BRINGS SENSE OUT OF MESS. IN NAOMI’S CASE GOD BOUGHT PROVISION OUT OF LACK AND THERE IS NO REASON WHY GOD CAN’T TURN YOUR SITUATION AROUND.GOD IS STILL, AS HE WAS YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW. IN MY OWN LIFE I HAVE SEEN GOD BRING HOPE OUT OF HOPELESSNESS AND IF GOD DID IT FOR ME AND IS STILL DOING IT FOR ME I KNOW HE CAN BRING YOU OUT OF THE FIRE PURIFIED AND BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING.
NAOMI, HAD A LIGHTBULB MOMENT WHEN SHE TOOK HER EYES OFF HER SITUATION, SHE DARED TO LOOK AWAY FROM HER GRIEF AND PAIN AND LOSS AND DECIDED TO FIND A WAY TO BE A BLESSING TO RUTH WHO HAD BEEN A BLESSING TO HER RUTH 3:1-4
SOMETIMES WHEN THINGS ARE BAD THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO STOP FOCUSSING ON YOURSELF AND FOCUS ON THE ALMIGHTY AND HIS CREATION. WE ARE BLESSED TO BE BLESSINGS TO OTHERS AROUND US, SO THAT MEANS WHEN I AM IN DIFFICULTIES I PRAISE GOD AND I THANK HIM FOR MY CIRCUMSTANCES AND I START TO INTERCEDE FOR OTHERS OFTEN TIMES WE GET OUR BREAK THROUGHS THAT WAY. THINGS START TO CHANGE IN THE SPIRITUAL FOR US WE CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE WHERE THE PRESCENCE OF GOD STARTS TO OPERATE.
NAOMI’S ACTIONS IN WANTING TO BE A BLESSING TO RUTH RESULTED IN NAOMI BEING BLESSED EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS NOT HER INTENTION. RUTH 3:17 AND RUTH 3:16-17.
GOD REDEEMED NAOMI IN EVERY AREA THAT SHE HAD LOST OUT IN. GOD RESTORED HER HOPE AND SHE WAS REDEEMED IN THE EYES OF THE PUBLIC AS WELL AND SHE WAS ALSO BLESSED WITH SECURITY AND A GRANDSON THAT SHE LOOKED AFTER AND A DAUGHTER IN LAW THAT LOVED HER SO MUCH. RUTH 4:14-17.
NAOMI, WENT FROM, BITTERNESS TO BLESSING. GOD TURNED HER SITUATION AROUND.THAT IS WHY I CALL GOD THE GOD OF THE TURNAROUND. NAOMI’S STORY ENCOURAGES ME SO MUCH. AS IT SHOWS ME WHAT GOD CAN DO WHEN WE LEAST EXPECT IT AND HOW NAOMI OVERCAME HER BATTLES.I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CLAIM THE PROMISES WE HAVE IN CHRIST AS A CHILD OF GOD AND TO REFUSE TO BE SWALLOWED UP BY YOUR SITUATION INSTEAD PRAISE AND THANK GOD OUT OF YOUR SITUATION AND REMOVE THE FOCUS FROM YOURSELF AND INSTEAD FOCUS ON BEING A BLESSING TO THOSE AROUND YOU AND GOD WILL BE THE GOD OF YOUR TURNAROUND.
FURTHER INSIGHT INTO GOING FROM TRIAL TO BLESSING
REALISE THAT YOU ARE NOT YOUR SITUATION. AS A CHILD OF GOD THERE IS NO CIRCUMSTANCE THAT YOU CAN NOT RISE ABOVE, REMEMBER YOU ARE MORE THAN A CONQUEROR IN JESUS NAME .ALSO AS A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST , THE THINGS OF THE WORLD ARE UNDER YOUR FEET. 1 CORINTH 15:27-29.
REMEMBER YOU HAVE DOMINION IN THIS REALM AND HAVE LEGAL RIGHTS OBTAINED BY THE DEATH AND RESURECTION OF JESUS CHRIST, AS WELL AS THE BLESSING FROM BEING ABRAHAM’S HEIRS.THAT MEANS WE ARE ENCLOSED IN THE CIRCLE OF THE ABRAHAMIC BLESSING AND COVERED IN GOD’S GLORY.WHERE THE GLORY OF GOD INHABITS ARE TREASURES UNTOLD, THAT MEANS YOU HAVE AN UNMEASURABLE AMOUNT OF FREEDOM, HEALING,JOY,LOVE, PEACE,FAVOR AVAILABLE TO YOU.
THE WORD OF GOD, ALSO TELLS YOU THAT ‘NO WEAPONS FORMED AGAINST YOU SHALL PROSPER’ SO NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS BELIEVE THAT THE ENEMY WILL WIN, HE CAN NOT! REMEMBER THE ‘BATTLE IS THE LORD’S AND ITS ALREADY BEEN WON’! DARKNESS WILL NEVER OVERSHADOW GOD’S LIGHT.PSALM 23 AND PSALM 91 GIVE SOME OF THE LEGAL RIGHTS AVAILABLE TO US WHEN ENGAGED IN WARFARE THAT RESULTS IN THE PRIZE BEING YOUR BLESSING. A GUIDELINE IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN EPHESIANS 6 THAT ALSO SETS OUT PRINCIPLES TO LIVE BY FOR BLESSING AND ALSO EXPLAINS THE THINGS WE FIGHT AGAINST IN OUR TRIALS.AS WE ARE COVERED BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB AND HAVE THEREFORE BEEN DELIVERED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS. THERE IS NO ONE WHO CAN CURSE WHAT GOD HAS BLESSED. ‘WHO CAN DELIVER OUT OF GOD’S HAND’ISAIAH 43:12-13.
RECOGNIZE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL PRAY FOR YOU IN A WAY THAT YOU CAN’T PRAY FOR YOURSELF (ROMANS 8:26-30) AND WILL MAKE ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD,ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS SAY ‘HOLY SPIRIT HELP ME IN MY WEAKNESS’.WHEN WE STAY IN THE SPIRIT AND WALK IN THE SPIRIT WE ARE NOT FRIGHTENED OF WHAT WE ARE FACING IN THE NATURAL REALM.THE HOLY SPIRIT MANIFESTS AN ANOINTING OF PEACE THAT WASHES OVER ALL THE CHAOS,TUMULT,CONFUSION AND BRINGS ALL THINGS INTO SUBMISSION TO THE WILL OF GOD.
FORTUNATELY, WE ARE ABLE TO GO THE THRONE OF GRACE 247 AND SIT AT THE FEET OF JEHOVAH, MY ALL IN ALL AND YOUR ALL IN ALL AND CRY OUT TO GOD.WE ARE TOLD TO ‘KNOCK AND IT WILL BE OPENED UNTO YOU’ AND TO ASK AND IF WHAT WE ASK FOR IS IN ALIGNMENT TO THE WILL OF GOD WE ARE ASSURED OF VICTORY.
TRIAL ALSO ENCOURAGES US TO BECOME MEMBERS OF THE HEBREWS 11 CLUB.WHEN WE EXERCISE OUR FAITH BY CALLING INTO EXISTENCE THINGS THAT ARE NOT AS THOUGH THEY WERE WE TRIGGER THINGS IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM TO START WORKING ON OUR BEHALF.AT THAT POINT IT IS PIVOTAL TO WEAR A ROBE OF THANKSGIVING AND START TO POSSESS YOUR TERRITORIES.REMEMBER GOD CAN BLESS YOU IN A SECOND AND CHANGE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES THERE AND THEN.LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD SHE WAS HEALED IN AN INSTANT,THAT IS WHAT THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF GOD CAN DO IN YOUR LIFE, YOU CAN GO FROM BEING MARA TO BEING CALLED BLESSED! GOD IS CALLING US TO PICK UP THE MATTS WE HAVE BEEN LYING ON IN OUR INFIRMITIES AND TO WALK. GOD WANTS US TO GET OFF THOSE MATTS AND TO WALK IN JESUS NAME.
CHANGE YOUR MINDSET,DON’T GO INTO A NEW SEASON WITH AN OLD MINDSET. KNOW WHO YOU ARE IN GOD AND WHO GOD SAYS YOU ARE.WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THOSE THINGS THE CIRCUMSTANCES YOU FACE WILL NO LONGER HAVE POWER OVER YOU, SO WHAT IF YOU ARE SURVIVING ON BENEFITS, GOD SAYS YOU ARE A CHILD OF THE MOST HIGH, A PART OF THE ROYAL PRIESTHOOD,AN HEIR TO ABRAHAM YOU ARE BLESSED AND HIGHLY FAVORED AND POVERTY IS NOT PART OF YOUR DNA.EVEN THOSE IN THE WORLD WHO SAID YOU WOULD NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING AND LAUGHED AT YOU AND PUT YOU DOWN,WILL BE SHOCKED THE DAY GOD SAYS ‘GET YOUR TABLECLOTH FOR THE TABLE I HAVE SET BEFORE YOUR ENEMIES’ WHEN GOD HAS FINISHED TURNING ASHES INTO BEAUTY IN YOUR LIFE IN JESUS NAME. GOD LOVES TO TAKE THE THING THAT PEOPLE LAUGH AT, TO SHAME THE WISE.1 CORINTH1:26-31.HE DESERVES THE GLORY FOR WHERE THERE IS NO FUTURE GOD WILL GIVE YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE. I LOVE THAT SCRIPTURE IT REMINDS ME OF HOW BUTTERFLIES DEVELOP FROM BEING IN AN UGLY COCCOON TO COMING OUT AND BEING SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL TO LOOK AT.
AS CITIZENS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD WE ARE JUSTIFIED AND SANCTIFIED BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB.WE HAVE GRACE IN ABUNDANCE ALL WE NEED TO DO IS SURRENDER AND HUMBLE OURSELVES BEFORE GOD AND LET GO AND LET GOD.IF WE REST IN HIS PRESENCE WE CAN THEN EXPERIENCE WHAT IT MEANS TO SAY’I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHNENS ME’ I LEARNT, THE HARD WAY ABOUT THAT AND I AM STILL IN THE PROCESS OF LEARNING THAT PARTICULAR LESSON.TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD AND YOU WILL TESTIFY OF HIS GOODNESS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED HOW GOOD GOD IS AND EVERYDAY I KEEP EXPERIENCING THIS.ALONG THE WAY I HAVE ALSO LEARNT THAT IF I GIVE GOD ALL MY PAIN HE TAKES IT AWAY, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THE SAME IN YOUR WALK FROM TRIAL TO BITTERNESS TO BLESSING.GOD IS ABLE AND HE CAN AND WILL BRING YOU OUT THAT IS WHY HE IS THE GOD OF THE TURNAROUND.THERE IS NO SITUATION HE IS NOT ABLE TO TURNAROUND. SO COUNT IT ALL JOY WHEN YOU GO THROUGH VARIOUS TRIALS. THEY LEAD TO JOY. NOW WHEN I GO THROUGH a lot OF TRIALS I START TO THANK GOD BECAUSE I KNOW MY BREAKTHROUGH HAS ARRIVED AND A FRESH WIND OF BLESSING IS COMING MY WAY ,SO I START TO PRAISE MY WAY TO MY BLESSING.
BE ENCOURAGED IN YOUR SEASON OF TRIAL AND KNOW THAT IT LEADS TO BLESSING.NAOMI WENT FROM BEING BITTER DUE TO TRIALS TO UNSPEAKABLE BLESSING.STAND ON THE PROMISES OF GOD AND PICK UP YOUR MATT AND WALK INTO YOUR BLESSING LEAVE YOUR INFIRMITIES BEHIND.
DEAR GOD
WE PROCLAIM YOU TO BE THE ALPHA AND OMEGA IN OUR LIVES
YOU ARE THE GOD WHO IS WORTHY TO BE PRAISED AND THE GOD WHO DELIGHTS IN TURNING EVERY NEGATIVE SITUATION INTO A POSITIVE ONE.
SO TODAY WE BRING OUR CIRCUMSTANCES AND ASK FOR A FRESH WIND OF BLESSING UPON OUR LIVES. WE DECLARE YOU TO BE THE GOD WHO TURNED MARA INTO BLESSED AND WE DECLARE THE SAME IN OUR OWN LIVES TODAY. WE THANK YOU FOR DELIVERING US AND BLESSING US
AND WE GIVE YOU ALL THE GLORY AND HONOUR
AMEN
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES TO READ AND MEDITATE OVER:
JOHN 1:12
ROM 13:13
LUKE 15:17
ROM 12:2
EPH 4:23
LUKE 11:9
LUKE 13:11-13
PSALM 16:11
ECC 3:11
ECC 9:11
2 KINGS 4:8-37
EZEKIEL 36:26
HEB 10:16
1 CORIN 2:9
PSALM 139:13-14
REV 22:13
LUKE 10:38-42
PSALM 119:9-16
PSALM 119:105
PSALM 121
PSALM 150
MARK 9:29
LUKE 2:36-37
1 CORIN 15:27-29
JAMES 1:12
JOHN 15:19
EPH 6