Embracing Transitions & Change
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it, and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:19, AMP)
If we are going to understand how to tap into the destiny of God for our lives, it is crucial to be able to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He makes a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. God’s prayer warriors should be flexible for change as the Lord positions His army across the nations.
Here are some principles drawn from the passage in Exodus where Moses is called to deliver God’s people from bondage in Egypt. They will help you to prepare for the new things God wants to do in your life:
1. The new thing is initiated by God Himself. Although it may be unexpected, the new thing will still be consistent with everything else He has been doing in your walk with Him. A good example of the way God surprises us is in the story of Moses and the burning bush. Moses didn’t know he was being led by God when he led his sheep to Mount Sinai (see Exodus 3:1). As far as we know, Moses thought he would tend his father-in-law’s flocks for the rest of his life.
2. Embracing the new thing requires an act of our will (see Exodus 3:3). Moses made a choice to turn aside to look at the burning bush. Many will miss the voice of the Lord if they don’t take time to pause and listen to the things He is saying. It is not a good time to assume that we know the will of God. Take time to focus and perceive the new things He is doing.
3. Be ready to leave your comfort zone. Shocking as it sounds, it is possible to learn to like the wilderness and not want to change even when God is orchestrating the shift. Transition can be scary and stretch us to the limits of our faith.
4. The new thing will challenge our capabilities to the limit. Just as Moses said, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh?” (Exodus 3:11) There will be many seemingly insignificant Christians who will come to the forefront in a new move of God. In fact, if you do not feel under-qualified for the new thing, you may not be ready. There is something about new moves of the Lord that require tremendous faith in those He calls for the task.
5. God will give you the favor and authority necessary to accomplish what He is calling you to do. When we began Generals International, no one had heard of Mike and Cindy Jacobs. Favor is a special treasure God gives to pave the way to finish the task. God gave Moses His name and the authority and favor to go with it. He told Moses when asked who sent him to say, “I Am who I Am and what I Am, I will be what I will be. Say to the people, I Am has sent you” (Exodus 3:14).
6. As you embrace and receive the call of God to do the new thing in your life, He will give you the strategy necessary for the job. Moses was not left in the dark by God but was given a strategy with which to lead the people out of Egypt. It required a new leap of faith on the part of Moses.
7. Be assured that God has a plan already in mind to finance His the new move. I know that not having the money to support the vision God has given may seem unspiritual to some of you. However, this can become very spiritual as you learn to trust God to provide in the midst of the new challenges in which He has placed you. God is a practical God. Remember—He supplied the fish with the coin in its mouth to pay the disciples’ taxes.
Personally, we have found that faith is always in the red. Right when we manage to pay for our current projects, the Lord instructs us to do something else. Of course, this makes you very reliant on God and not yourself. It causes you to grow, but it’s not always fun. The Lord told Moses in Exodus 3:22 to spoil or plunder the Egyptians’ belongings due to them. (Could this have been 400 years of back salary for the Israelites?)
I often hear many people say, “What does God want from me? How will I know when God wants me to make a change?” You can trust the Lord to make it abundantly clear to you when He has prepared a new thing for you. If need be, He will prepare a burning bush, or it may come from a time of studying His Word. The way God gives direction is individualistic. Sometimes we want an angel to appear when God is speaking to us in a still small voice.
The important thing to remember is that God will choose how to reveal the new thing He has to you. Many times I suggest to people to give up their preconceived notions about how God will speak and to spend time preparing their hearts to be mature and willing to embrace the transitions He is bringing. This season of preparation is a good time to lay down your thoughts, ambitions and goals on the altar before the Lord. Allow the almighty God to choose how, when and where He will use you.
Destiny’s door will open as we spend time with Him, walking every day in obedience to the often mundane daily challenges and give up our right to dictate the details. I’ve found, when I am ready to wait forever and maintain a right heart serving in my current place, the God of all the universe surprises and delights me with the new things which will be catalytic in thrusting me into His destiny for my life. Surely the Lord is looking for those who will press towards the mark in the little things, so He can make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert and set them on a path to shake nations for His name’s sake.
