God of the Breakthrough

Do you need a breakthrough? Are you facing some formidable challenges or obstacles that are keeping you from moving forward?

God of the Breakthrough

"So David went to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there; and he said, 'The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.' Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim."

(2 Samuel 5:20)

Do you need a breakthrough? Are you facing some formidable challenges or obstacles that are keeping you from moving forward? All of us are going to face times like this. Sure, there will be days of relative ease, days of sunshine and no rain, times when things go smoothly. We all love those times and wish they would last. But the reality is, hard times come to us all.

When those trying days come, how do you respond? There are only two ways to respond to trials: we can have a bad attitude or a good one. It is easy to feel sorry for oneself and become negative. A better response is to rely on the Lord, be thankful, and embrace a positive attitude. Viktor Frankl survived the Nazi concentration camps during World War II. He believed he had a purpose for his life, and that thought propelled him to persevere through the horrors of the Holocaust. He said, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances."

God always has our best interests in mind. He leads us through valleys and hardships. He prepares us in these trying circumstances for the battles yet to come. It is only a matter of time until He breaks through, delivers, and grants the victory. Until then, our responsibility is to wait, and it would be healthy and helpful if we could wait with a positive outlook. When King David faced the threat of the Philistines in the Valley of Rephaim, he asked the LORD what he should do. Should he fight or not fight? In 2 Samuel 5:19, God responded to his prayer and told him to pursue the Philistines in battle. Verse 20, our biblical text for today, says God broke through like a breakthrough of water. I love that.

In Cory Asbury's new song, "Reason to Praise", he declares that our awesome God is the God of the breakthrough. You can listen to the song here:

Here are some of the lyrics:

Cause You're the God of the breakthrough
When I'm breaking down
You'll be working a way through
When there's no way out
This one thing I know, You're still on Your throne
So whatever I'm feeling
I've still got a reason to praise.

God is still the God of the breakthrough. You may have a mountain in front of you or an impassable raging river before you. But God will make a way. He always comes through. His breakthrough may look different than what you had in mind. Be still, wait, and watch. He will come through for you!