A tunnel to promotion…

This past year, I have been crying out to God for many hours every day. I’ve prayed, worshiped, read the Word, and soaked in sermons; I worked hard as well. I sought the Lord with all my heart, and just as David did, I have strengthened myself in Him. I’ve experienced dark times before, like when I was betrayed by one of FHL’s partners. It was a season filled with despair, but God turned it around.

Running away

In 1 Samuel 22, we see King David hiding in a cave, fleeing from King Saul, though David had done nothing wrong. Saul’s jealousy drove him to try to take David’s life. Yet, amid this trial, David found strength in the Lord.

King David hiding from King Saul

David went hiding and his family and many others joined him—those who were in distress, debt, or discontented—and he became their commander. “All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.” – 1 Samuel 22:2 (NIV)

Moments of rejection

But then came the moment when the Philistines prepared for war against Israel. David and his men were ready to fight, but the majority of the Philistine leaders rejected him, fearing that David might turn against them in battle (1 Sam. 29). In an instant, David found himself rejected—not just by Saul and his own country, but now even by the Philistines.

When David and his army returned to Ziklag, what they found shook them to their core. Smoke filled the air over their city. “David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way“ 1 Sam. 30:1-2, (NIV). David’s men were so devastated that they even talked of stoning him. But, in the face of despair, “David found strength in the Lord his God“ 1 Sam. 30:6 (NIV).

Victory Awaits Those Who Believe

I urge you to do the same—to continue strengthening yourself in the Lord, as David did countless times. And just as David inquired of God, you too must seek Him for guidance. 1 Samuel 30:18-19 says, “David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken… Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back.”

FHL’s journey, like mine, is filled with testimonies of God’s unwavering faithfulness. There were times I went without a salary for six months, on the brink of losing my home and facing bankruptcy—but God always made a way.

About David… after all the trials, rejections and even on a brink of mutiny, the next scene of his life was becoming King. And if you read further, the foundation of his kingdom was built by the”mighty men of David” – who in the past were distressed, in debt and discontented.

You are on the Pathway to Promotion

It is our obligation to encourage one another. Though you’ve been on your Journey Through the Tunnel of challenges, God has been using this time to strengthen you so you can carry the weight of the promotion that’s coming. You may need to adjust—not according to your own plans, but to God’s. No matter what, do not lose heart! God’s promises never fail—for each one of us. Your breakthrough is coming. Strengthen yourself in the Lord! The question is, “Do you believe?”

“Prayer changes things” is something we often hear. And while it’s true, there are moments in life when it feels far from true.

Have you ever found yourself praying day and night, pouring your heart out over something incredibly important. You wait in anticipation, your prayers brimming with hope— only to be met with what seems like silence from God. I know this uneasy feeling well, I’ve been there countless times.

Bright hopes for the New Year

Bright future is ahead

As the New Year approaches, many of us carry our prayer requests in our hearts. We long for change—better relationships, a better-paying job, improved health, vacation to an exotic place, perhaps even a new car. We make our resolutions, hoping the new year will bring the breakthrough we’ve been praying for. But, month after month, nothing seems to change.

It’s hard, and the waiting feels endless!

Keep the Faith

Yet, in the midst of all this, there’s a deeper lesson in patience, perseverance, and trust in God’s perfect timing. Sometimes, His quietness is preparing us for something greater than we imagined. Hold on… even when it feels like nothing is moving—because God is working behind the scenes in ways you can’t yet see.

Preposterous

In Joshua Chapter 6, the Israelites, under Joshua’s leadership, prepare to capture the heavily fortified city of Jericho. God gives Joshua unusual instructions for how to conquer the city: for six days, the Israelite army is to quietly march around the city once each day, led by seven priests carrying trumpets made of rams’ horns. After the first day, nothing happens—the walls remain the same, and there is no visible progress or sign of victory. This same exasperating experience happened for the next several days, things look as it was before, nothing appears to change but they continued to quietly march with their seemingly blind faith.

For nearly a week, Joshua and his people had marched silently around the walls of Jericho, doing exactly what they were told, but nothing happened. They might have felt ridiculous, walking in circles, with their enemies taunting them from the safety of the walls. With each passing day, it seemed more and more hopeless. Back at camp, the murmurs could have grown louder. People may have secretly questioning Joshua’s leadership, wondering if he really had a handle on things.

Maybe even Joshua shared those doubts, feeling the weight of disappointment pressing in. Perhaps his mind raced, questioning whether he had truly heard from God. He may have been replaying every step, every prayer, wondering if he’d gotten it wrong. Doubts, like whispers, might have filled his heart—what if he misunderstood? What if they had just wasted six days? What if the enemy was laughing at them, secure in the thought that the Israelites’ God had abandoned them?

But despite the questions and the potential for discouragement, Joshua remained faithful. He trusted God, even when the plan didn’t make sense.

The shift

Then came the seventh day, and the plan shifted. Joshua might have thought to himself, “Did God change His mind? Maybe the first six days were a mistake.”

Nothing is impossible with God

Despite it, the Israelites march around Jericho seven times, and at the end of the seventh lap, the priests blow their trumpets, and the people shout loudly. Suddenly, the unthinkable happened – the walls of Jericho collapse completely, allowing the Israelites to charge into the city and claim victory!

This miraculous event emphasizes that God’s timing and plan were perfect, even though it may have seemed like nothing was happening during the first agonizing six days. On the seventh day, with obedience and faith, the walls came down, showing that God’s power can bring sudden and total victory at the right moment.

Your seventh day is coming

Just like the Israelites who marched around Jericho, when things don’t seem to make sense and everything feels stagnant, remember—God is working behind the scenes. In those moments of waiting, He’s building something deeper in us, strengthening our faith and teaching us to trust fully in Him. He calls us to surrender our future into His hands.

Your seventh day is coming! Keep persevering in prayer and continue to walk in His steps. The hope He gives will never disappoint, and His promises are sure. He has not forgotten you!

Sometime it just take another step

I am praying for you. As the new year approaches, choose to believe in the power of prayer and obedience, even when you can’t see the results. That “suddenly” you’ve been waiting for could be closer than you think—greater than you ever imagined. Keep looking forward, keep digging, keep the faith because your seventh day is just around the corner! Pray, be strong and courageous… believe.

Happy New Year and God bless you!

Merlin

All posts tagged: perseverance

Journey Through the Tunnel: Pathway to Promotion