I was encouraged while reading my devotion a few days ago, and I want to share what I journaled. Knowing that one decision can make our rock bottom starting point a breakthrough moment is encouraging. Chapters 6 and 7 of 2 Kings describe a devastating famine. It was so severe that people considered the unthinkable to survive. The climactic moment that reveals the desperation of the times is a disturbing story: two women agreed to eat each other’s babies.

Yes, you read that right.

The conflict in this Biblical story wasn’t even about the morality of that agreement. The issue was that one of the women refused to follow through. The very idea is unthinkable, but this story illustrates the depth of their despair. These people were so desperate that they were willing to sacrifice their most precious and vulnerable lives.

The Decisive Outcasts

2 Kings 7 introduces us to four lepers living at the gate during this ravaging famine. They were the last people anyone expected to change the course of history because they had an incurable disease, making them outcasts and revolting to be around. But these men made a decision.

They figured they had nothing to lose. They’d die of starvation if they stayed where they were. If they went to the enemy’s camp, they might be enslaved–meaning they might be fed–or killed. Contextually, their decision to enter the city or even approach the enemy’s camp was a bold act of defiance against every societal norm and personal limitation placed on them. Desperate, they made a move, and God honored their action.

Their boldness led them to discover that the enemy’s camp had been abandoned, filled with food, wealth, and resources. What started as a rebellious act of desperation by four rejected outcasts led to the salvation of an entire nation. They didn’t let their condition stop them from turning a rock bottom starting point into something greater.

Rock Bottom Starting Point: From Despair to Destiny

Hitting rock bottom hurts, but here’s the secret for us as Christians: The Rock we hit is a firm foundation upon which we can build. If Jesus is your Rock, your lowest point can become the first step in a comeback story if you choose to move forward in faith.

A Word to Determined Leaders

Many of us leaders, creators, and entrepreneurs have experienced seasons of famine. You’re trying, investing, and praying, but nothing seems to work. I want to encourage you: Just like those lepers, you don’t have to die where you are. Turn that desperation into determination. Your rock bottom starting point may be where God wants to build something new.

These unlikely leaders were rejected by society. They had to yell “unclean” just to exist near others. They didn’t have influence, resources, or even dignity. But they had just enough determination to take a step. That decisive step changed everything.

Their survival instinct sparked action, and their desperation birthed resolve. Ultimately, their decision led Israel to abundance.

Your Challenge:

Are you sitting still in a season of famine, paralyzed by fear or failure? It’s time to move. Rebel against the personal limitations and beliefs you’ve internalized after receiving one discouraging rejection after another. Don’t give up, bend your values, or allow your dream to die. A small step of faith can lead to a breakthrough. You may feel like an outcast and that you’ve hit rock bottom, but you are not disqualified, forgotten, or done.

Make this your anthem: I won’t die where I am. Move from apathy and apprehension into your destiny and pursue your God-given purpose with determination. Make a decision right now —no more thinking or hesitation. When desperation meets determination, even a rock bottom starting point can lead to purpose. Your destiny awaits.

Prayer:

Father, thank You that even in desperation, You are working. Help me move forward in faith even when I feel stuck, empty, or broken. Give me the courage to take one bold step, and remind me that You are my Rock, steady, unchanging, and a firm foundation upon which I can build my hopes and dreams. In Jesus’ name, Amen.