Brand New

God put on my heart someone reeling from a sense of loss. An opportunity fell through, a loved one was lost, a relationship was lost, despite your faith that all the way up until the end God could turn things around. Hear this word of encouragement. God's been showing me David, the man after His own heart. He fasted and prayed for his and Bathsheba's first child when he became ill. When the child dies just as he was given word it would, David's response is this: "Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. His attendants asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!” He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and made love to her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved him;” ‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭12:20-24‬ ‭NIV‬‬ He prayed and fasted beforehand, but now going through the fire of death, he PRAISES. He WORSHIPS. He eats and cleans himself which signifies going on about normal life UNCONCERNED. It shows a CONFIDENCE in the Lord as opposed to a sustained worry about what He will do or why the loss happened. Then he TRIES AGAIN. He and Bathsheba didn't decide to not have any more children for FEAR they may LOSE MORE. God is speaking against this FEAR OF LOSING MORE. He is encouraging you to get up in the midst of the pain you're experiencing and continue praising, continue living worry free, continue trying, and from that there will be a "Solomon" BIRTH. Solomon's name means "peace", and scripture shows us that he becomes a symbol of incredible God-given wisdom and prosperity. Beyond that, he FULFILLS THE PROPHETIC DREAMS OF DAVID. David has amassed materials and had the dream of building the temple for years, but Solomon is the symbolic coming to pass of this preparation. Hear that if you will praise and not give up during this time, if you will not give into the fear of losing more, this will be a birthing time in your life of the fulfilment of the prophetic dream you've been given. It will also be the birth of new wisdom and peace that are forged in the fire. "For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:15‬ ‭NIV‬‬ God has been showing me the phrase "brand new". That this is a brand new time. It seemed a little cliche or lackluster, so I dug into the phrase a little more. This phrase originated in the 1500s or earlier to indicate something that was so new that it had just been CREATED IN THE FIRE. Another term used was "fire new". This fire you have been enduring has not just been burning things away. It has been creating new things! The word brand also originated because creators would "brand" their products with a hot iron from the fire to show that these things had their mark and were READY TO BE USED. You are coming out of this bearing God's mark. Because you have not undergone something foreign to God. In fact, this fire is the fire God has gone through FIRST and CONQUERED for us! This doesn't mean we won't go through fire but that there is no question of whether or not the fire will be overcome. And coming out of it, you are ready for NEW USE. God keeps showing me 10s this week. I look at the clock daily and it's 10:10. 10:10 has come up in conversation or other random occurances. I felt drawn to Hebrews, and look at Hebrews 10:10 "And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Through the sacrifices we have experienced WITH Him as His body (which any kind of sacrifice is something you've had to give or lose), it has set us apart for God. Set us apart as His own. Not because God requires or delights in our suffering, but because God's experience in this world WAS suffering, so when He is in us, we naturally have troubles in this world. But the other half of going through the fire is knowing that there is also a guarantee that WE WILL OVERCOME and that there will be a "Solomon" birth of PEACE in our lives.  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have PEACE. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have OVERCOME the world.” John 16:33