Nothing in life is certain except for death, taxes—and change. God never changes, but we do. Through sanctification we are transformed from sinful, carnal creatures into the image of God’s Son.
Becoming like Jesus requires a lot of change—and often involves difficult periods of transition.
Transition can take many forms. It can be like the transition during labor—intense pain followed by a clear reward. Or it can be like the momentary transition that takes place when you switch gears in a car to face the challenge of the road ahead.
For an instant you are between gears and though the engine is roaring, you have no control. You may not know what the road ahead is like or whether you even want to move to a higher level. But when the shift occurs, you are connected once again with the power of the engine and are translated into a higher level of operation—the next gear.
Transition can also be a time that seems as if it will never end—a long, dark night of the soul when all around you seems dim and you lose sight of God’s promises to you. In this season, you may lose your sense of God’s presence and feel that He has abandoned you.
Don’t give up! I have learned that no matter how uncomfortable the period of transition is, change is a good thing. It keeps us moving forward.
Forward motion starts with just one step, and we have the assurance that our steps “are ordered by the Lord” (Ps. 37:23). This means that God has a plan for us. He knows what is needed to conform us to the image of Christ.
But taking that first step often requires the kind of faith Peter had when he stepped out of the boat and walked on water in response to Jesus’ command to come (see Matt. 15:28-32). Faith allowed Peter to do something that was impossible in the natural, but the roar he heard in the natural—the wind—distracted his faith, and he began to sink.
Don’t allow the storms of your transition to cause you to lose sight of God’s promise to see you through. To the degree you see or hear the natural, you can’t hear God.
Weathering transition successfully also requires trust. Suffering, Job said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15). And David declared, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” (Ps. 56:3). God rewarded David’s trust with refuge and deliverance. Know that you serve One who is trustworthy.
Whether in birth or in the darkest night, each period of transition in your life will lead you to a glorious new place. Allow God to use each one to take you to a higher level spiritually, with the ultimate goal that you become like Him.
PRAYER POWER FOR THE WEEK
This week embrace change and thank God that He is moving you to a new level of trust when you weather storms of transition in your life. Continue to pray for those affected by the floods, tornadoes, drought and other natural disasters. Pray for President Obama and his administration to wisely lead the country during this difficult time. Pray that righteousness will be restored to our executive, judicial and legislative branches. Pray for God’s will and direction in the upcoming elections. Remember Israel, our allies, and all of our troops and their families. Psalm 37:23; Matt. 15:28-32
To enrich your prayer life and learn how to strategically pray with power by using appropriate scriptures, we recommend the following sources by Apostle John Eckhardt: Prayers that Rout Demons, Prayers that Bring Healing, Prayers that Release Heaven on Earth and Prayers that Break Curses. To order any or all of these click here.
Tears Will End in Joy
Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. — Psalm 30:5
God knows how much we can bear, and even when He chastens in the sense of punishment, He knows how much each of us can take.
It is possible that right now you are going through something awful—a nightmare. Perhaps your nightmare is because you are obedient, and it is God's way of making you more like Jesus. "For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God" (1 Pet. 2:19). But the nightmare will end.
When the nightmare is over, it could mean a restoration of honor. In Psalm 126:4 the psalmist said, "Restore our fortunes, O Lord." It could be that your good name is under a cloud. Maybe you have done something that has caused people to raise their eyebrows, or perhaps you have been falsely accused and you long to have your name cleared.
It could be a restoration of holiness. Are you a backslider? Have you been living in sin and just doing anything that your body feels like? It is not worth it.
It could be a restoration of humility: "Those who sow in tears, will reap with songs of joy" (Ps. 126:5). Perhaps you have become proud and unmanageable, and God has had to humble you.
Tears get God's attention. Hannah wept because she was barren. God gave her Samuel. The church whose womb has been strategically closed by God may find the answer in sowing in tears, that God could say, "Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child. ... For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back" (Isa. 54:1-7).
Do you want to know the way back? It is the way of tears, sorrow that is true repentance. When you are sorry, the way to end the nightmare is to weep. God sees tears.
Excerpted from Higher Ground (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1995).
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