The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me
because God anointed me.
He sent me to preach good news to the poor,
heal the heartbroken,
Announce freedom to all captives,
pardon all prisoners.
God sent me to announce the year of his grace—
a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies—
and to comfort all who mourn,
To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,
give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.
(Isaiah 61:1-7 MSG)
For the past several days I have been musing on the word “turnaround.” This started with a word I gave to a friend who was praying for her cancer-ridden cousin, but then I started thinking about other situations where a turnaround was needed. In the meantime, Pastor Dutch Sheets posted this on the GiveHim15.com website (which I highly recommend), and so I’ll muse some more on my own and let him speak today.
God Is Turning Things Around
America’s turnaround began years ago. God is way ahead of the times, seeing and declaring the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). He is the only individual who doesn’t start at the beginning. God starts at the end, backs up to the beginning, and implements His plan. This means He is never caught by surprise or off-guard. It also means He knows how He will solve problems…before they even manifest!
Yahweh is not taken back by the failures of people and nations, knowing they would occur beforehand. When He calls a person – or a nation – to a purpose, God realizes He will have to navigate through their mess-ups, just as He did with Abraham and the nation of Israel. According to Hebrews 11:3, God has already decreed the aligning and realigning of the ages; the correct translation is: “Through faith, we understand that the ages were aligned by the word [declarations] of God…”
Before Adam’s fall, Jesus was the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). That means the Incarnation, the Cross, and Christ’s Resurrection were planned before Adam’s fall ever occurred.
I share this to assure you that God has a plan for America’s turnaround. He knew the failures and sins our nation would commit before we committed them, and has also declared our turnaround. Satan’s reactionary plans and schemes are no match for God’s omniscience and foreknowledge.
This foreknowledge also means God is moving on many fronts, of course. While He is implementing His pre-planned works in America, He is doing so in other nations, in the church, and in individuals, preparing them for His plan. When all is ready, He shifts everything into a phase of convergence: ripe harvest fields; nations positioned; the church equipped; angels assigned.
This is all seen in the book of Esther. The Jews’ very existence was threatened when wicked Haman, one of King Ahasuerus’ trusted officials, manipulated the king into issuing a decree for the annihilation of the Jews. Upon learning of Haman’s decree, Esther, a Jewish woman chosen by King Ahasuerus to be his queen, exposed Haman’s plan. She broke protocol to appeal to the king in a courageous attempt to protect her people. The king granted Esther’s request and, instead of the Jews, Haman was executed. The day after Haman’s decree was reversed, the Feast of Purim was inaugurated.
The Hebrew word for turnaround is haphak: “to overturn, overthrow, turnaround, transform, be reversed.” The following verses from Esther 9 include this word:
“…when the king’s command and edict were about to be executed, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them,
it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them.” (v. 1)
“Because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing….” (v. 22)
“But when it came to the king’s attention, he commanded by letter that his wicked scheme, which he had devised against the Jews, should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.” (v. 25)
The Message translation of Esther 9:25 uses a powerful analogy to convey the significance of what transpired: “But when Queen Esther intervened with the king, he gave written orders that the evil scheme that Haman had worked out should boomerang back on his own head.”
God had planned ahead. Before Haman ever conceived his evil plan to destroy the Jews, God aligned people, events, and time. The book of Esther is an easy and interesting read – check it out. You will find that God orchestrated events, timing, the choosing of a queen, sleep patterns, favor to individuals, the uncovering of evil plans, rescues, and more. The end result was the saving of the nation and the furthering of God’s plans on earth.
I believe Holy Spirit is doing again this year what He did in Esther’s day. He is moving us into convergence and a time of divine reversals! This is a year of great turnaround, when God intervenes powerfully on behalf of His people, and the enemy is overthrown as his plans boomerang back on his own head!
Of course, the Hebrew word haphak is not only found in the book of Esther, but throughout the scriptures. Deuteronomy 23:5 uses the word to describe the turning of Balaam’s curse over the Jewish people into a blessing. Jeremiah 31:13 and Isaiah 61:3 use the word in reference to turning mourning into joy.
This season’s turnaround will occur for individuals, families, regions, and nations. Unrest will certainly continue and the scriptures assure us that evil will, as well. But great harvest will also occur and areas of unrest will give way to righteousness—even in the darkest regions. There will be awakening and revivals in places where they have never existed. We must recognize, however, that the Lord is inviting us to partner with Him in releasing these supernatural boomerangs into the earth.
When King Ahasuerus extended his scepter over Esther’s life and favor was released, he invited her to write her own decree of victory. The decree was to be written in his name and sealed with his seal so that it could never be reversed. Likewise, the Lord has extended His scepter of grace and favor over us. He is inviting us to exercise His authority, by making reversal decrees concerning the very things satan has decreed over our lives in past seasons. Be it sickness, poverty, the pain of divorce, depression, or any other form of oppression, our decrees will reverse them! His word tells us:
“You will also decree a thing and it will be established for you; and light will shine on your ways.” (Job 22:28)
“Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” (Jeremiah 1:9-10)
The Lord is inviting us to shift from merely petitioning Him, to also making decrees (official orders, edicts, or decisions), declarations (announcements or formal statements), and proclamations (the process of binding and loosing) as we are inspired by Holy Spirit to do so. The power of God’s decreed word is extraordinary! It releases His creativity, His salvation, and yes, His judgments! He rules through His words, and so must we.
As the Lord causes the strategies of the enemy to be overthrown, He will also bring us into a season of victory, celebration, and rest. This rest does not imply the ceasing of activity, but a peaceful and joyful trust in the Lord. It is the place from which we derive renewed strength to move forward.
This scriptural passage comes to mind:
“He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” (Isaiah 40:29-31)
These past 2 years have been years of great turmoil for many individuals, families, businesses, communities, ministries, and nations. As a result, hopelessness has set in, vision has been clouded, strategies have been wanting, and forward movement has been delayed. Yet, I concur with the prophets – this is a turnaround year! Regardless of how great was your hardship, betrayal, sickness or loss, I declare that this is your year of breakthrough!
You will see a reversal of the enemy’s decrees and strategies enacted against you. Stand confidently upon the Lord’s promise of divine intervention; He has been working all things together for your good (Romans 8:28)! This year, God will cause light to break forth from darkness, turn curses into blessings, and mourning into joy. Through the adversity of the past, the Lord has been preparing you for the fulfillment of His promises over your life! And from a new place of celebration, victory, and rest, the Lord desires that you partner with Him to help facilitate a righteous turnaround in this nation.
You were born for such a time as this!
Pray with me:
Father, we exalt You as Lord, not only of the nations, but also over time. You change the times and seasons, orchestrating events to align with Your purposes. We declare confidently that You are greater than the forces of evil on the earth, that Your wisdom is higher, and that Your abilities are without measure. We know that You have decreed the turnaround of America and how this will occur, and You have decreed a great outpouring of Your Spirit in our day.
Just as You turned around Haman‘s attempt to destroy the Jewish nation, You will turn around satan‘s attempt to destroy Your purposes in our day, as well. We accept the Esther decree: we were born for such a time as this. Help us now to rise to our calling and assignment, partnering with You and Your great plan.
We proclaim breakthrough in Your people, breakthrough in our nation, and breakthrough on the earth. Give us a turnaround in our government, courts, education, and media. Give us a reversal of Roe versus Wade. And we ask for this confidently, in Christ’s name, amen.
Our decree:
We decree that Haman will be hanged on his own gallows!