“STRATEGIC OPPORTUNE TIME” by Karen A Roth

“STRATEGIC OPPORTUNE TIME” by Karen A Roth

Divine Intervention initiates a ‘strategic opportune time.’ In the Old Testament, God would speak through His creation—most often through His prophets. His ‘decree’ released the anointing that created a ‘strategic opportune time’ that causes a Spiritual Shift in the Earth.

When God intervenes to create an opportunity, He will also empower His creation to fulfill the assignment. In First Samuel: God sent the prophet Samuel to promote a shepherd boy—’anointing him’ to be king of Israel. Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed [David] in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward…But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled [Saul].” 1 SM 16:13-14

The Spiritual Shift is quite significant in the above scripture. In portraying what happened, the scripture implies the cloud of God moved like it did in the Wilderness. The Spirit of the LORD (referred to as ‘the anointing’) lifted and departed from Saul … and came to rest upon David in the exact moment Samuel anointed him to be king of Israel. It’s phenomenal!

SPIRITUAL SHIFT

In that moment of Divine Intervention, God caused a ‘distressing spirit’ to attack Saul and it left him feeling miserable. Saul’s servants suggested that if he found a man with the ability to play the harp and sing songs, it might alleviate his periods of severe depression. A servant said, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.”

God positioned David, moving him from shepherding sheep in the fields of Judah to the kingly courts of Saul. He arranged opportunities for David to learn how to walk in a new position—it is part of the development and training necessary for him to become king.

David attended King Saul each time a ‘distressing spirit’ troubled him. Through this he learned the dynamics of spiritual warfare: “casting down…every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.” David acquired the ability to change the atmosphere through song and music. Saul “loved him greatly.”

PROMOTED TO WARRIOR

Whenever King Saul went out to battle, David “returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.” One morning, David’s father, Jesse, sent him to see how his brothers were doing. When he got there, he heard the jeering taunts of Goliath…and saw that “all the men of Israel… fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.”

David’s brother Eliab heard David say, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach (shame) from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” Eliab probably felt embarrassed that David had seen the army of Israel fleeing from Goliath, but he’d feel even more ashamed if David gave his father the report of his cowardly action. Consequently, Eliab’s “anger was aroused against David, and he said, ‘Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”

The questions of Eliab illustrate what is painfully obvious to all those standing in earshot of David. From a purely factual position, what does an untrained kid know about fighting military giants? Worse—a kid opposing a giant makes the army of Israel look like a bunch of scaredy-cats.

David may have been overmatched in physical stature, but he came with divine power and strength. He viewed the whole situation through God’s perspective… understanding that what Eliab spoke had nothing to do with him personally. Instead of answering his brother’s question, David asked, “Is there not a cause?” One Bible commentator states that ‘cause’ can be literally interpreted as: “Is there not a ‘history’ of God’s faithfulness?”

KINGLY COUNSEL

King Saul spoke to him … and then David gave his account of why he would win. He cited his victories over other vicious animals—and declared the uncircumcised Philistine as a ‘dog’ defying “the armies of the living God!” David was convinced that with God—Israel would be victorious!

Saul offered his armor—hoping it would make David look more like a warrior. He “clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them.”

David “said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them…so he took them off.” A courageous young David “took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook and put them in a shepherd’s bag… and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.” David recognized it as Divine Intervention—a ‘strategic opportunity’ that he’d already been trained to win. David believed God always wins His battles! Therefore, he is confident that God would fight for Israel and win!

WEAPONS OF WARFARE

David had responsibility as a young shepherd and used stones and a slingshot to save his father’s sheep from ferocious beasts. He saw Goliath as a brute animal he could kill. David wore the armor of God’s anointing because his position of singing ‘praise’ and worship during the king’s distressing spiritual attacks trained him in spiritual warfare.

In the Greek, ‘praise is a tale, narrative or a story that conveys the goodness of God.’ David sang about ‘the goodness of God’ to King Saul when he suffered from demonic spirits … singing of how God blessed Israel and made them victorious over and over throughout their history. It generated hope and revived Saul whenever he was in a disturbingly dark place.

Both armies heard David’s proclamation, his ‘praising’ God for what He would do to the Philistines through him. It’s a tale still sung by God’s chosen people:

Then David said to the Philistine:

“You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 

“This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you.

“And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and     the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

“Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s and He will give you into our hands.”  ~ 1 SM 17:45-46

David’s ‘praise’ clothed him in the armor of God. With God’s guidance, he could not fail. He decreed what God would do—creating an atmosphere of hope. God guided the young warrior. “So it was… David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him.”

“PREPARE A PLACE”

In the New Testament, Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions [dwellings]; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am there you may be also.” JN 14:2-3 The Greek word for ‘prepare’ means ‘internal fitness’—the inner adjustments/training that make us ready to accommodate the supernatural realm in earthen vessels as the Body of Christ.

The Greek word for ‘place’ figuratively means ‘opportunity.’ Jesus provides ‘opportunity’ for usand promises to walk beside us every step of our journey. The ‘opportunity’ is similar to David’s promotion or advancement—we are given the ‘opportunity’ to be trained, so each step or phase contributes towards fulfilling our ordained purpose.

The ‘place of opportunity’ Jesus ‘prepared’ for us is the Spiritual Tabernacle of God—where we dwell in God and God dwells and accomplishes His will through us. We possess the same ‘opportunity’ to walk in the supernatural power of God behind the veil as David when he fought Goliath—totally confident that God is in Control—and God Wins!

RECENT DIVINE INTERVENTION

In 2013 the Angel of the LORD spoke: “Get Ready! It’s time to put the House of God in Order. Pray for the awakening of the Spiritual Tabernacle of God in the Earth.” God declared what He wanted us to do to ‘prepare’ us before He began the ‘shift’ into a new age.

In 2018 God spoke of “a new calling for a new age.” Anytime there is a Spiritual Shift of this magnitude, the enemy will challenge us by trying to defy the plans God decreed for us. The enemy often thwarts our participation through assaults on our mind—the disparaging words that are belittling, faultfinding, judgmental, etc. We are attacked from every side, causing a weariness that may prevent us from recognizing any future ‘opportunity.’ Some may be struggling to hang in there—but don’t quit!

God knows what ‘stuff’ we are made of. If we are being trained, then we can trust everything we need will be provided. God ‘prepares’ us step-by-step because we have a purpose to fulfill in Him. Like David, God’s Anointing is our armor, and with the spiritual weapons of ‘praise’ we are strengthened/trained to overcome the enemy. Like David, we run towards ‘opportunity’ declaring the high ‘praises’ of God’s cause/history/testimony! We are totally confident God is in Control—and God Wins!        

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Karen Roth is the wife of Dr. Roger Roth Sr., and a ministry son of Dr. Mark Hanby. They are the set ministry of a local church in Northeastern Wisconsin; and oversee the Bloodline Network Newsletter. They consider it an honor to work with Dr. Hanby for many years, helping to oversee the ministry of Papa Mark’s extended family—”The Father’s Heart.”

Any questions or comments please contact them at rogerandkaren@live.com