“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19
2022 was a year of change. 2023 is a year of … (to me) MORE change. Someone prophesied over me about a year ago: ‘The train has left the station, and it is picking up speed.’ Those of you who know me inside and out, will know that I am not particularly fond of change, and I am also not a lover of speed. However, I do get those moments on this speeding train where the adrenalin flows, where I would stick my head out of the window and laugh open mouth, arms in the air, the wind in my growing hair. But then I get days when I feel everything is in motion, but me. On these days I almost feel as if I am not going with the wind, not going with the flow and then I plead: “Oh Father, please can we just go a little bit slower? I am not holding on tight enough! I am falling off this train. It’s going too fast! Please hold me, hold on to me.”
Changes and challenges bring uncertainty. I had to get a Godly perspective on new beginnings, on new seasons. How will I be able to trust God when I can't see the next step? What promises can I stand firm on, find my hope, and keep my joy in?
I’m moving…into my dream house. Within the past few weeks, I started throwing things into boxes. During a quick coffee with the previous owners of the new house, the wife said to her husband: “Don’t you dare take all the stuff that you have hoarded with you.” It hit me. I started unpacking and sorting. In some or other degree, we are all hoarders. We collect and keep things that are reminders. We hold on to memories. By seeing them, it takes us back in time. We have difficulty in parting with possessions. We gather a huge number of items, regardless of their actual value.
Last week I spoke about God – our Provider. This week He spoke to me… about the same subject. Do I hold on to these things because I do not really trust that He will provide? Do I gather treasures here on earth where moth and rust can destroy, where thieves break in and steal (Matthew 6:19-24)?
Someone once said: “If your dream does not scare you, it is not big enough”. These words were so profound that Kristine K. Stevens wrote a book about it. (I still must read it). These words made me think: Is our dream in some cases bigger than our faith? That said, Ephesians 3:20 confirms the above statement when God Himself states that He can do “immeasurably more” than anything we could ever dream up. It truly is mind-boggling, and yet, this is what we are offered: a life that moves beyond into “immeasurably more” and “greater things.”
We aren’t dreaming the dream alone. God can take us beyond anything we could possibly imagine, but He doesn’t just do it for us. He works WITH us to make it happen. He requires our participation so that He can work IN us.
Friends, think about this: If you will be visiting me at the new house, you’ll first need the address. Even with Google maps or Waze, you may still take a wrong turn, but because you KNOW me and you have my number, you will call if you get lost. Asking for help and admitting that we have lost direction is never difficult when you are friends. You feel save to swallow your pride and show your vulnerability.
The same is true with our faith. We are all on this journey to a destination and we all need a little help at different points along the way. Sometimes we allow ourselves to get distracted by unfamiliar voices while other times we fall into a false sense of security that causes us to move confidently in the wrong direction. Either way, we end up stuck or lost. STOP! And ASK!
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7,8
Fear does not have to rule us; we can choose to let faith rule our fear by His power and strength in us. When we choose to rely on God something beautiful happens. Other people get to see God’s handiwork up close. They get to witness the peace and the joy that choice brings us. We are showing of the Supernatural, the One who is our Refuge, we’re displaying His faithfulness meeting us right where we are during our struggle. The goodness of God is made visible – He does not protect us from all struggles, but He protects us in the midst of the struggle and that is where His true character is able to be put on display. We have an incredible opportunity to not only rest assured that He is our Source, but to also show others the way.
Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by chaos in your life? That God has moved forward and left you behind? My journey of change has brought chaos, although I know that this chaos will not last forever. The good news is that even if we forget about Him amid our chaos, He remains steady in His love for us. Even when we let go of Him, He will never let go of us. As the Author and Perfecter of our faith, He is the one who started this good work in us, and He is the one who will bring it to completion.
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