New Season - God’s Plan and Provision
Joshua 1:5-9 (NIV)
No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’
I love that God has a plan for every season of our lives. These verses of scripture talk about the end of a season. The end of an era. The era in which Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt to the edge of the promised land. A perilous journey fraught with many challenges and hardships. Despite these challenges, God’s perfect plan, the promise of victory over their enemies and their receiving their inheritance prevailed.
As Moses prepares to hand over the baton to his successor, Joshua, he encourages them not to be fearful, but to trust God, because God had promised that He would go before them. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who will never leave them nor forsake them. He would go before them. Moses had seen God move in impossible situations. He knew that God could do miracles. He had seen it happen time and time again. So He knew that when God spoke, He could trust Him to do what He had promised. After all, he had seen God:
Protect them from the plagues that afflicted the Egyptians (Exodus 4-11),
Part the red sea (Exodus 14-1-31),
Provide manna in the desert for them to eat (Numbers 11:1-9),
Turn a rod into a snake (Exodus 4:3-4),
Cause his hand to become leprous and be healed again (Exodus 4:6-7),
Make bitter water sweet (Exodus 15:22-25)
These are just some of the miraculous encounters that Moses had with the faithful and true God who does the impossible.
Just as He was faithful to the people of Israel as they transitioned from one season to the next, God is also faithful to us as we transition into a new season in our lives.
I remember a particular time in my life when God moved me into a new season. This transition was unlike any other I had experienced. God, in a very clear way, was calling me to move to another country. However, I had no idea what I would be doing there. And besides, I did not have the finances to move anywhere, let alone abroad. But God went ahead of me and miraculously provided for the finances I needed for my air ticket, as well as providing the opportunity to study at a Bible school there for a year – all expenses paid! I ended up living in that country for nearly 25 years. During these 25 years, He was faithful and provided for all my needs. Often in miraculous ways.
You may be at a point in your life where you know that the season that you are in is coming to an end, but you’re not sure what God is leading you into. Standing at the edge of a new season is scary and may seem like a huge leap into the unknown. Be encouraged - God’s good plan for your life will prevail. He has already gone before you to make the uneven ground level and the rough places a plain. (Isaiah 40:4). He will clear away everything that needs to be moved so that what needs to be in place will be available to you. And yes, He is there. He is always there. I would like to challenge you to stand on His Word in Deuteronomy 31:8 that says,
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. Corrie Ten Boom
Reflection
Are you facing hard decisions you need to take regarding a new season that God is leading you into? Take time to think about the things that might be holding you back from trusting God for His provision in this new season.
Prayer
Lord, I thank You that You orchestrate my life. Thank you that you will move me into the new season in your time. Lead me, Lord and guide me by Your Holy Spirit. I pray for Your wisdom so that I may make decisions that align with Your perfect plans and purposes for my life. Lord, I give all my doubts and fears to You. Help me to trust You to provide for everything I need in the new season. In Jesus’ name, amen.
