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This is the message of the prophet Isaiah—repeatedly: The presence of your Savior changes everything! (See Isa. 32:15, 35:1-2; 40:3-5, 43:19, 51:3.)
Only Jesus can turn a past story of loss into a present testimony of power. So, receive His touch on every part of your life—even those past times that felt like “wilderness seasons.” For right now, He is visiting you with headlines from heaven.
I Am Changing the Story You Tell
A few years ago, God spoke to my husband and I one evening. It was 2019, and we were musing about a tragic event in our family’s history over dinner when the Holy Spirit interrupted us. He said, “I am removing shame from the generations; I am changing the story you tell from now on.”
When we prayed over that event and over our family, He intervened with signs and a miracle. God broke into our story with a fresh encounter, and our view will never be the same again.
As long as we have an earthly viewpoint, we will tell an earthbound version of our story. But when the Holy Spirit is present to lift our vision, we see God’s greater purpose: the redemption of our story.
An Unusual Backstory
I believe that right now God is releasing grace encounters to those who have been feeling conflicted in some way. If you can relate to this, I believe Psalm 34 contains a healing word for you. As this Psalm opens, we learn there is an unusual backstory:
David composed Psalm 34 after he fled from King Saul and escaped across the border to Gath, but his heroic reputation went with him, and the king of Gath began to suspect him. As a result, David was in immediate danger and became very fearful. In order to avoid arrest, he pretended to be insane! The ploy worked, and David escaped unharmed.
This is not a story in which we read of angelic rescues or miraculous interventions from God—that is not in the narrative! Instead, we learn of a man who was terrified, and who humiliated himself by acting out a lie.
What if God could have delivered David without him resorting to deceit and trickery? For the anointing and prophetic call on his life guaranteed David’s safety (remember Goliath)! Yet through it all, and in spite of his weakness, David encountered God’s grace and saving power—even angelic protection. And how do we know this? Because of the song that he sang afterward.
God Is Present in the Wilderness Season
David marked the moment by composing a song, and this is his testimony:
“I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed,” (Ps. 34:4-5, NKJV).
So, if fiery darts of self-doubt have come against you—or you have endured a painful transition and been misunderstood by others—you may feel as though you are in a wilderness season right now; but God is present with you, and He’s filled with love and grace toward you.
Headlines from Heaven
In my NKJV Bible, a translator sums up the theme of Psalm 34 with this headline: “The Happiness of Those Who Trust in God.”
In a book, a chapter title sets the tone, the atmosphere and the expectation of what the story is about. And I believe this is a time in which God is revealing headlines from heaven! You shall see His purpose, even in past “wilderness seasons.” And from now on, God’s purpose will be your headline for that chapter in your life.
Earlier this year, the Lord led me to change the “chapter titles” of some wilderness seasons in my life—going back decades! This included some traumatic events. But as I reflected on God’s greater purpose, by His grace, I was able to name the events accordingly. For example:
- A closed door and rejection became “God’s Greater Plan.”
- A time of burnout was “Discovering the Father’s Heart.”
- Moving to Australia—very difficult for me—became “Positioned for Harvest.”
- Letting go of a ministry we thought was our life’s calling was the “Gateway to Prophetic Leadership.”
- Some years in which I felt I was barely surviving became “Bringing forth Gold.”
As I wrote these in my journal, I could see the progression! And this prayerful exercise helped me discover God’s chapter title for my current season.
Let Go of Regret
Perhaps the Lord is speaking to you today about some wilderness season. It may even be long ago, but ripples from it have affected you to this day. This is a time to let go of regret and to release and forgive those who caused you pain, and that includes releasing yourself.
For this is a time when God is revealing His “chapter headlines” from heaven and making His glory (in your story) known to you. And you will see that God’s purpose is not merely a postscript, or a bridging paragraph leading to your next chapter; it is the chapter title! For His redemption changes the whole, washing through your entire story.
Hear Him say, “Beloved! I am changing the story that you tell, and I am revealing My ever-increasing glory in your life.”
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Helen Calder is a prophetic minister, writer and founder of Enliven Ministries, in the David McCracken Ministries family. Helen has a unique gift of equipping in the areas of prophetic ministry, discernment and prayer. She is known for Enliven Blog, an online prophetic training and mentoring resource that reaches thousands of people globally. Helen and Malcolm have been married for 37 years and are at home in Planetshakers Church, Melbourne, Australia.
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