2018: A Year of Unexpected and Extraordinary Turnarounds

2018: A Year of Unexpected and Extraordinary Turnarounds – Nathan Shaw

In 2018 there are going to be many sudden, dramatic and unexpected turnarounds as God tips things in our favor. A few years ago the enemy took some things from me. It was a multi-pronged assignment that targeted several areas of my life simultaneously. The emotional impact was huge. In the midst of it God gave me a dream. In the dream I was talking on the phone with a lady called Mrs. Tipper. Mrs. Tipper was very excited because she knew God was going to move in three strategic areas of my life. They were the exact areas the enemy had targeted. God was reassuring me that things would not remain the way they were. It was His way of giving me a “tip-off” about the future. Two weeks later God spoke to me and said, “I’m going to tip things in your favor.” Sometimes it looks like everything is going totally wrong and then God surprises us by using the mess to tip things in our favor.

Concerning 2018 God showed me a coin. Written on the coin were the words, “Take up the jawbone of a donkey.” The words refer to an incident in the life of Samson that looked like imminent defeat (Judges 15:9-15). The men of Judah wanted relief from the cruel oppression of the Philistines. To appease the Philistines they bound Samson’s arms and delivered him to them. The astonishing thing about this event is that God had appointed the tribe of Judah to led the way when Israel came against her enemies (Judges 1:1-2). Now the men of Judah were cow-towing to the fear and intimidation imposed by the Philistines. It was an amazing contradiction: Samson had an anointing to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Philistines, but the very people he was called to deliver, delivered him into the hands of the Philistines!

Samson stood before the Philistines alone. He had no support. His arms were bound. He had no weapon. He was before hostile men who wanted him dead. Defeat looked imminent except that God used the situation as a set up to tip things in Samson’s favor. The Spirit rushed on Samson and melted his bonds. He had no time to think. He grabbed the only thing that was at hand—the jawbone of a donkey—and used it to kill 1000 Philistines. Imminent defeat became imminent victory and a major turning point in Samson’s life. The people of Israel finally put their trust in him as a God appointed deliverer. Four ingredients made up the victory that day:

The men of Judah delivering Samson to the Philistines.
The Spirit of God rushing on Samson.
Samson taking immediate action.
The use of an unusual and unexpected weapon—the jawbone of a donkey.

Only God could mastermind such a strategy!

God showed me a coin because coins give the ability to trade. When a person can’t trade it is like their hands are tied. The coin contained the wisdom that we need for the coming season—“take up the jawbone of a donkey.” The jawbone that Samson used was just lying around. It just “happened” to be there. It was something quite ordinary, but as a weapon it was unusual and unexpected. No matter how dire your situation looks, God has a plan. When He moves by His Spirit, be ready to take action. Grab the thing that is at hand and use it as a weapon. 2018 will be a year of dramatic, unexpected and extraordinary turnarounds. Pray for the discernment to recognize God’s provision and the courage to act. Many will look back and see 2018 as the year that God tipped things in their favor.

Back to Articles