INSPIRATION FROM THE PHILISTINES

 1 Samuel 4 : 4, 10;

So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

4:5 And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook.

4:6 Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp.

4:7 So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before.

4:8 Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

4:9 Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!”

4:10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers.

This is grace, whether they are the people of God's enemies or not!!

They reminded themselves of what they definitely didn't want to become. They definitely had no interest in becoming slaves of the Israelites. "CONDUCT YOURSELVES!" they kept on saying to themselves. 

This phrase, "conduct yourselves" literally means "be men"; "occur as men"; "appear as men"... This phrase is used for the purposes of inspiration and revival. It is to reset the mental attitude of those to whom it is spoken. The Israelites had their mental attitude inspired and revived by the arrival of the Ark of God into their midst while the Philistines had to remind themselves of how idiotic and humiliating it'll be if they didn't win that battle. And the rest is history. 

Children of God, remember the hope you had from the beginning of 2024 and conduct yourselves. Look up into November 2024, see the victory status (that is, the reality) you'd like to exist in and compose yourselves in such a way that makes the attainment of that reality a possibility. THIS IS YOUR YEAR OF SUPERNATURAL LIFTING. CONDUCT YOURSELVES AS PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPERNATURALLY LIFTED AND YOU WILL NOT BE ASHAMED OF YOUR HOPE!

Shalom.