By Robin Sam
THE Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines breakthrough as an important development that may lead to an agreement or achievement. But, a breakthrough is often more than that. It can be a monumental deal clincher, a significant turn of events, a light bulb moment. In the natural world, breakthroughs happen to those who are persistent enough to bulldoze resistance, who wait for the oppressor to tire out.
In the Bible, however, breakthroughs are ordained by God. He uses ordinary men and women to bring about a breakthrough in the lives of others whom He is willing to use. I call those ordinary folks the ‘Breakthrough Brethren.’
I want to introduce 3 groups of people who were behind the breakthroughs of others.
1. David’s breakthrough came through one of Saul’s servants
Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him” (1 Samuel 16:18).
The servant is not named here, but he played a pivotal role in David’s life and career. He was the man who played an important role in David the shepherd boy standing before the king. God had planned out David’s life and in His wisdom He picked this servant of Saul to put in a good word to the king about the shepherd boy. God can accomplish anything in the world without us, but yet He chooses us to serve Him. ‘Out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham’ (Matthew 3:9).
This servant was quite effusive in his praise for David. He also identified that the Lord was with him. That says something about the servant – he himself must have been a man anointed by God. Because while anyone can find out talent, look at the complexion of the skin, only the anointed can identify another anointed vessel. ‘But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things’ (1 John 2:20). ‘But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one’ (1 Cor. 2:15).
Today, will you pray that God will send an anointed vessel to spot the anointing on your life and take you to places you never dreamed of?
2. Joseph’s breakthrough came through Pharaoh’s chief butler
Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard (Genesis 41:12).
As a young man, Joseph thought life would be a bed of roses because his father favored him above all his brothers. He had the multi-colored coat and he had a special vision that he believed was the roadmap for his future. But, the envy of his brothers did him in and he was soon sold to traders who took him to Egypt. By some quirk of destiny he landed in jail. But the Pharaoh’s chief butler became his breakthrough brother when he remembered how Joseph’s interpretation of his dream had come true.
In today’s world, the letter of recommendation carries a lot of weight. If you have to get something done in the corridors of power you need to know someone who knows the powers that be. The chief butler was Joseph’s erstwhile jail inmate, but now he offered him a word of recommendation to the pharaoh.
Proverbs 25:11 says: ‘A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.’ Today, our prayer should be that God will bring such breakthrough brethren into our lives. A brother or a sister who will speak the right word for you. A word that opens the doors to the portals of power. Both Saul’s servant and the chief butler of pharaoh facilitated the royal entrance of David and Joseph respectively.
3. Naaman’s breakthrough came through the young Hebrew girl
The Syrian king’s army commander, Naaman, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master. He was a mighty man of valor but a leper. And, that one thing kept Naaman down. There was no one like him on the battlefield, but he was dying every day because of the disease and the social stigma attached to leprosy. His breakthrough came through the young Hebrew girl whom he brought captive from his battle against Israel. The girl held no malice toward her captor, she was gracious enough to show him how he could be healed. In Luke 5:17-20 we read about a paralytic man who was brought before Jesus by four of his friends. Mark 2:4 says: ‘And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.’ The four men were the paralytic man’s breakthrough brethren. What he could not do, they did. They took him to Jesus, the wellspring of healing. What joy to have such men around us!
Before I wrap up, I want to give you some tips on how to identify breakthrough brethren in your lives.
Breakthrough brethren in the Bible were often nameless characters. They were often in the background and content to be that way. They always had good words to say about others. They sincerely wished their friends well. They were all change makers. They did not hanker for gratitude or stay back for glory. Once the job was done, they disappeared from the scene.
Will you now pray that God will raise change makers in your life too? Conversely, are you willing to be a change maker in someone else’s life?
Robin Sam is a preacher, Bible teacher and missions worker. He works in Messenger Missions, a Gospel proclaiming ministry and edits The Christian Messenger magazine.
