God Is Doing A New Thing - Change Is Imminent In Your Life

Regularity definitely makes life easier. It’s just easier to have things remain the same but how then can God do “a new thing”? Life definitely feels safer when nothing changes and as many of us say “the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know” which suggests that change is really risky making it even more difficult for most of us to allow changes. But if we must enjoy the benefits of the “new thing” that God is doing, then change is imminent. Change is inevitable if we must go forward. Indeed moving forward speaks of change just like growth does. The truth is though we all love God to do “a new thing” in our lives, we often reject the changes that precede and/or accompany the new; and by so doing, we inadvertently prevent the new from fully unfolding so that God’s move in our lives is often frustrated. Whilst it is often true that the initial stages of God’s changes may produce some difficulties in our lives, leaving us in some of the most unpalatable circumstances. If however, it is permitted to fully unfold, it would make us glad. The truth is God’s ways are not ours so that as mere mortals who live in the flesh, it is not out of place for our first instinct to be to reject the changes that accompany God’s new thing; but if we are patient, we would reap great benefits. I guess that fact that we don’t fully understand His ways, makes it very confusing but that is how we learn to trust Him.  We must trust that His thoughts toward us are of good and will bring us to that end that was written for us by Him.  

James 1: 3 - 4 “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

Hebrews 10: 36 – 37 “Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.”

God’s new thing will always take us higher even when it sometimes appears to take us lower. We must know God enough to know that when He seems to take us lower, the work is not finished yet. The destination is always higher than where one was when He started the new thing. There are often hills and valleys to go through for His new thing to fully unfold but through it all, He will not only be there but will finish His work.  Never give up on God when it is tough. Indeed, the fact that it is still tough suggest that He is not finished yet. There is no doubt that an undesired and unanticipated process is not what one ever wishes for but it works good in the believer. When the process is ongoing, it is best not to make any life changing decisions because by the time He is done, you may regret the decisions. You just need all your strength to hang in there and wait for life to eventually confirm whether God’s new thing and process worked out good or evil in your life. Interestingly, everyone is not at the same stage of the “new thing” process at the same time so we must learn to remain focused on Him and not compare ourselves with anyone one else but remember to rejoice with them that rejoice and mourn with them that mourn. We must also remember that we must never be bitter toward God. It would separate one from God and cause satan to rejoice because we make His work easy. If we feel bitter, we must remind ourselves that God is working for our good and helping us fulfilling our destiny.

Hebrews 10: 35 “So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!”

God consistently did “new things” in the lives of the Israelites as they journeyed to the Promised Land. Sadly, God had to take away the set of Israelites who left Egypt that the next generation may enter the Promised Land because they would have become a stumbling block to the fulfilment of God’s purpose for a nation. For this “new thing to be accomplished, God may need to remove some people from our lives and bring in others, so let us be open to Him. Joseph went through several major changes that He could not understand or explain but which ultimately brought him to the role of Prime minister in Egypt. How would Joseph ever have thought His journey will eventually bring Him to the manifestation of His dreams? If anything, his journey seemed to have taken Him far away from the fulfillment of the dream. Who would have thought an Israelite would be prime minister in Egypt? Don’t ever try to fully understand or find a logical sequence for all that God is doing in any life unless He lets you know; you will get frustrated because It is hard to fully understand where God is going until He completes what He is doing. We just must trust Him enough to let Him take away the first that He may establish the new in our lives. If it wasn’t necessary to take it away, He wouldn’t; He does not go out of His way to inflict pain. Our pain does not give Him pleasure and anyway He has to be with us through it all. Fear of pain or the unknown must not cause us to hold unto the old. We must be prepared always to suddenly be taken out of our comfort zones.

Hebrews 10: 37 – 38 “For in just a little while, the coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”

To take a step higher on a staircase takes energy, discomfort, albeit physical, focus so you don’t fall and just a step higher changes everything. One’s perspective changes completely because one’s view is larger, the risk of getting wounded if you fall is higher and you would most likely become more visible. Things definitely change. Going from glory to glory is a lot of change but it is the goodness of God. You can’t insist on remaining in the same place and hope to enjoy the goodness of God. Let us ignore the discomfort caused by the climate and focus on the good that it is working for us. In the very difficult times we live in, when it would seem like darkness is covering the earth, it is time for us shine and possess our possession. To do that, we must ensure that we have possessed our souls. If we are not in control of our minds, we will fall. We have to take charge of it and submit it to God.

Luke 21: 19 “By standing firm, you will win your souls.”