Turning Point

Text: “You turned my wailing into dancing, you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy” (Psalm 30:11).

Today I will be talking on TURNING POINT for I strongly believe that somebody is about to experience a turning point.

What is a Turning Point?

A turning point can be defined as the point at which a significant change occurs, usually a change for the better. This change for the better can occur in an individual’s life, it can take place in a family, an organization, or a nation. In the Word of God, we see accounts of individuals, families and nations that experienced a turning point; a point where things turned around and changed for the better. For example, the day God called Abraham to leave his family, people and country, was a turning point for Abraham (Genesis 12:1). In Exodus 3, when God called Moses out of the burning bush to go to Egypt, this was a turning point for the Israelites who for over 400 years had been subjected to slavery and cruel bondage. The year King Uzziah died, was a turning point in the life and ministry of Prophet Isaiah. That year, Isaiah saw God like he had never done before (Isaiah 6:1-8). I believe that today, someone will experience a turning point and you will begin to see God like you have never done before.

There are four things that happen when a person experiences a turning point from God:

1. God turns the person’s mourning to dancing

Mourning in this sense is not restricted to people who are mourning because they have just lost a loved one. Even when no one close to you has died, you can be mourning; you can be sad, in deep pain and heavily weighed down. A classic example of someone that was in this kind of situation is Hannah. 1 Samuel 1:6-8 tells us that Hannah had been waiting for a child for many years. She got to a point where she was always crying about this situation (even though she hadn’t lost anyone). The situation affected her appetite. It affected her physical appearance. Publicly and secretly, people were mocking her. Just like Hannah, there are people who have been mourning; who have been facing situations that make them cry, weigh them down, have taken away their appetite and given them many sleepless nights. Publicly and secretly, they are being laughed at. If you are such a person, today is a turning point for you. God will turn your mourning into dancing.

How did God turn Hannah’s mourning to dancing?

•He heard her prayer – Hannah was in pain. She was hurting and discouraged. Things weren’t going well for her. But as discouraged as she was, it didn’t stop her from praying. A lot of Christians make statements like ‘I am so discouraged, I can’t pray’. They can’t pray because they are discouraged, yet they want a change in their life and situation. God knows we will face situations that can bring about discouragement that’s why He says in James 5:13 that ‘is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray’. In other words, is there anyone of you in trouble and discouraged, he should PRAY! For that is how you will be delivered from that trouble.

Hannah did not receive a turn around by a dry, casual prayer. Her mourning was not turned to dancing by causally breezing in and out of the presence of God. Her mourning was not turned to dancing by coming to church on Sunday just to fulfill all righteousness. This woman experienced a major turning point in her life because she prayed. She called on God, she cried to God, she focused on God like never before and God heard her prayer and turned her mourning to dancing. Today isn’t going to be business as usual for you. It’s not going to be like those times when you casually stroll in and out of the presence of God. Today, as you focus on God, call on God, pray like never before, God will hear your prayer and turn your mourning to dancing.

•He remembered her - Hannah’s mourning was turned to dancing because as the scripture says in 1 Samuel 1:19-20, God remembered her. God has not forgotten you. As you pray today, He will remember you and wipe away your tears.

•He gave her something great - God turned Hannah’s mourning into dancing by giving her the very best. The interesting thing about this woman’s story is that one would have thought that after waiting for many years for a child and not having one, her prayer would be ‘Lord, give me a child. I’m okay with any child. So far I have a child, I will be happy. I don’t mind the sex of the child, just give me a child’. But this woman is a true example of someone who understood her covenant rights with God. She understood like Jesus told the Syrophoenician woman, the bread is for the children of God; the very best is for the children of God. It is the crumbs that are for those outside the covenant of God (Mark 7:24-30). So when she prayed in 1 Samuel 1:11 despite her situation, she boldly and confidently asked God for a son. She told God she wanted a son, but not just any kind of son. The best you could have, one that would be dedicated and sold out to God, a true man of God. And God answered her prayer. God blessed her with a prophet.