I recently had a day of doubt and feelings of disappointment. I think it was triggered by a feeling of hope deferred, it was real and tangible. It made me feel like shutting down and being self-absorbed.
However, what had me by morning seemed to lose its hold by afternoon. It all changed when I understood the truth of Psalm 60, as I encountered God’s presence and joy, after prayer.
Can you relate to thoughts of doubt and despair arising like a thief that enters a house uninvited and steals things?
We must discern when a thief is approaching or trying to enter. We need to close that door and thief-proof our minds to these kinds of thoughts.
Press on despite setbacks
God gave me a divine appointment to further inscribe this truth in my mind, by meeting an acquaintance key cutter, after I accidentally broke my key.
In the mall, as I had my key cut, I knew something was wrong. My friend, conscious of my concern, explained why his speech was slurred.
He told me he had suffered with covid for four months. He endured ten weeks of coma, two strokes, one heart attack. This greatly impacted his speech.
He said, while at hospital every doctor expected him to die. But, then he praised God saying, I’m only alive, and back at work, because people prayed for me!
He went on to explain that so many issues continue to afflict him. Why, he said?! He was still struggling deeply with doubt or to hang on to God’s goodness.
However, he readily accepted my prayer at the counter for full healing, as we pressed in for God’s full blessing.
I prayed with a grace from Psalm 60. Let me share.
See possibility in impossibility
Psalm 60 begins with David saying, “You have shown your people desperate times. You have given us wine that makes us stagger.”
From these words we can assume he was experiencing serious defeat.
Ironically though, the background story to the text shows that David was also experiencing great victory in many of his battles.
Have you faced a contradiction like this?
There are signs of God’s presence despite desperate circumstances, in finances, family, ministry, near death encounters perhaps like my friend, while still seeing some breakthrough.
I believe it is an invitation to see complete victory in all you face. David said, in Psalm 60, Lord, ‘you have rejected us, but now restore us, mend the cracks!’
The bottom line is he chose to trust God for restoration and full victory rather than give up.
Verse 4 reveals the key. It reads, “but for those who fear you, you have raised a banner, to be unwrapped against the bow.”
Consciously raising God’s banner can help remove the blindness by the devil’s onslaught so we are restored see possibility in impossibility; grace.
Fly God’s flag high
In Numbers 21 a pole, another word for banner, is raised by Moses. All the sick and dying who had rebelled, who looked upon it in faith could be healed.
Jesus, in John chapter 3, verse 14, said, ‘Just as the Moses raised the bronze snake so I must be lifted up.’ Jesus, like the snake, bore the curse so we can be fully healed, saved and blessed.
Jesus revealed God’s perfect standard or banner, through his great and victorious salvation. God wants us to trust him to rest in his victory.
In receiving his salvation and professing that hope and victory, Jesus becomes our banner over us of love.
I recently chatted to a cab driver talking about all the bad in the world. I shared ‘we need love don’t we’. I raised the banner high and shared Jesus, and he was saved. He hugged me at the end of the trip and marvelled that he had been seeking God privately.
Raise the banner to release your inheritance
The banner of the cross, is a bit like a big M you see for miles, as you look for a McDonalds store. You go there with hunger and expectation for a nice bite.
Of course, through the cross we are filled with immeasurable satisfaction by comparison.
I want to testify as I worshiped, I saw God’s banner last Sunday at church, the word preached spoke deeply.
Then afterwards, someone who had stood next to me prophesied to me and shared that I would be meeting CEO’s for ministry into the future, and that it had begun with two or three recently.
That was spot on. I had just met three CEO’s the week prior and ministered the gospel!
Also, I had a God-dream just prior to that prophesy that brought marvellous confirmation and impacted my message to those CEO’s.
When you raise the banner of Christ, you will see a release of your inheritance, your promise land.
Interestingly, after the banner is raised God makes a victorious declaration marking out his territories in Psalm 60 and verse 5. “God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth. Gilead is mine…”
That week, with Psalm 60 in mind, I prophesied to businessmen flying to the US. New clients were released supernaturally.
I am convinced when Jehova Nissi shows up we are given our inheritance, assigned spheres and places where we are to shine for God’s kingdom.
For some it is in business, others art, others media. He knows where you need to be.
Go forth in power
David ends the Psalm restored, stating that ‘the help of men is worthless’ by comparison to what he received from God.
That’s where he wants you to be.
Lord, I pray for all the readers to experience break through in the name of Jehova Nissi.
Amen.
Mark Rusic was born in Melbourne and has a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. He became a missionary to many, suffering hardship and poverty on Madura Island in Indonesia, in 1990 for about four years. He worked as a pastor-life coach with Hope International Ministries from 2002 to May 2023, playing a key role in raising up leaders and elders for the local Melbourne Hope church, which lead today. Mark has also been active in conducting yearly trips to remote Indigenous communities, bringing teams for training and outreach, which he initiated from 2015. He also established a salt and light ministry to empower saints of influence in the marketplace from 2017.
Mark is also an artist and an author and has written two books which are both a collection of his own paintings, photography, and poetry. These include ‘Iconic Melbourne of Australia’ and ‘Iconic Animals of Australia- With a voice to release your giant potential within,’ which are available now on booktopia.com.au and at leading book retailers. He has been counted among some of Australia’s best authors on several occasions through Dymocks since 2014 and continues to be a motivational speaker in various community groups, organisations, and churches.
He is currently pioneering his itinerant ministry to bless Indigenous people and empower the body of Christ, while working as an artist, author and speaker.