STEP INTO YOUR NEW SEASON
(10-minute read)
Just because something has not changed for you does not mean you should remain in the status quo or that the status quo is the best that God has for you.
The Israelites had lived in Egypt for 430 years before God miraculously set them free by dividing the Red Sea and had them flee on foot through a dry passage while the Egyptian chariots that pursued them drowned. (Exodus 12:40). Afterward, they wandered in the desert for 40 more years before their leader, Moses, died. Then, God said to Joshua, “Moses my servant is dead.” It was a strange statement of fact because Joshua clearly knew Moses was no longer alive, yet God chose to state the obvious.
Presumably, God was signalling a change of command to Joshua. For generations prior, the Israelites had learnt to ‘settle’. Whether they were facing severe hardships living in hostile conditions under Egyptian rulers, or wandering in the harsh and homogenous desert landscape, they had learnt to accept the status quo. But the Bible shows us that God’s will is always in progressive motion. He is, therefore, not interested in us just going through the motions of life, focused only on the obvious and what's easy to understand. God wants us to be able to perceive critical changes or ‘new seasons’ hidden in life’s obvious transitions that can easily be missed.
Here's how to step into our new seasons and learn to recognise God’s Hand on things that have remained unchanged in our lives for so long.
SEIZE YOUR GOD-GIVEN DESTINY
Moses' death signaled the end of a season of waiting and a time for the Israelites to finally step into their destiny - the Promised Land.
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant: ‘Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the River Jordan into the land I am about to give to them – to the Israelites. (Joshua 1:1-2)
Let’s be clear, ‘destiny’ is not a destination. Destiny is also not something that God will hand us on a platter fully-formed. Rather, it is about our prophetic positioning (prophetic means God-directed).
Significantly for Joshua, he would no longer be Moses’ deputy, operating behind the scenes in the shadow of Moses’ leadership, or sitting in the second chair. It is utterly important for Joshua to step up so the people can step into their prophetic positions and seize God’s destiny for them as citizens of the Promised Land.
For all of us, this means being able to recognize our destiny in the face of obvious life changes. Here, it is also important to understand that destiny is not our next job, our next place of residence, our next relationship, or our next ministry assignment. Life transitions often trigger a change of seasons, but if we will not see it, the new job will just be another job, and the new year will just be another year. And we will keep missing out on what God wants us to do in the new season.
New seasons are also times when God will restore our broken dreams. Up to the time of Moses’ demise, God’s promise of permanent residency for the Israelites had not yet been fulfilled. The Israelites likely felt forgotten by God as the Promised Land disappeared from their day-to-day conversations, and subsequently, in their consciousness. Now, however, God was telling them that a new season had arrived at their door, and they would have to start taking steps to become land owners. This was not the time to pray and wait, but a time to seize their God-given destiny.
Isaiah 43:18 (NLT) described God’s sea-parting miracle rescue for the Israelites, yet emphasizing “forget all that”. This means, to forget everything; and in particular, what God had done for them because “it is nothing compared to what I am going to do” next. “For I am about to do something new… Do you not see it?” Similarly for us, God is always working on the next thing in our lives. He never stops so we should never settle.
If you are struggling to see what’s required of you in this new season, ask God for the ability (spiritual discernment) to see the new thing He wants to do in your life next. Stop resisting. It helps also to humbly open up to a spiritually mature believer you trust.
EMBRACE THE PROMISES OF GOD
Here are five promises embedded in God’s instructions to the Israelites.
The promise of inheritance
“I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates – all the Hittite country – to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. (Joshua 1:3-4).
We, too, have a precious inheritance from God. 1 Peter 1:4 (NLT) tells us that it is “a priceless inheritance - an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.”
But make no mistake that we alone are responsible for taking steps to embrace our inheritance just as the Israelites had to navigate how to set foot on theirs. God would never do that for us so there is no point in praying incessantly to pursue God’s perfect will, yet not take a single step of faith in the right direction. We can too easily let our own fear of failures and mistakes hold us back from taking the necessary action.
No One Will Be Able to Oppose You
This promise in Joshua 1:5a has less to do with God being on our side than it is about us being on God’s side. To take hold of their inheritance, the Israelites had to step into risk-ridden realities - places where there were enemies to overcome, cities to conquer, communities to rebuild - all of which were extremely daunting.
‘No one will be able to oppose you’ does not mean no one will try to undermine us, and look convincingly good at it, too. But just as God promised the Israelites an outcome of ultimate victory against their adversaries, our confidence is that God Himself will see that His plans come to pass for He does whatever He wishes. (Isaiah 46:10).
So no, we are not defeated as soon as an adversary shows up.
No, we are not in the wrong place as soon as opposition appears.
No, our problem is not the ‘difficult people’ around us but our inability and sometimes downright refusal to see that they cannot obstruct God’s ambitions in our lives.
No, because God says categorically that ‘no one will be able to oppose you’.
You will never be alone
“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5b).
As a mentor, Moses left behind shoes that were hard to fill. His absence would leave such an indelible void in Joshua’s leadership that would invariably usher him into a season of loneliness he had not yet been acquainted with. Therefore, God made it crystal clear to Joshua that he would enjoy the exact same level of intimacy as Moses did with Him.
New seasons, exciting as they may appear to casual observers and even close friends, can be extremely lonely seasons for a protracted period of time. The opportunity to leave home for overseas studies, uprooting from one church to another, starting life as a widow, single parent or empty nester or for some, all of these all at once, can be extremely difficult to navigate alone. Yet, loneliness in any new season is something people rarely talk about and even stigmatized in Christian circles because it is seen as a lack of faith.
But God, who never avoids our difficult emotions, invites us to bring them to Him, giving His assurance that ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’.
You will leave a legacy
“…you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.” (Joshua 1:6b).
For better or worse, we are all legacy builders – the only difference is between healthy and harmful legacies. A good living legacy is the positive impact we leave on individuals and communities during our lifetime. God wants all of us to leave a legacy for future generations; meaning that we need to pick up essential skill sets to help us succeed. And others too.
When some leaders depart, it leaves people with nothing more than a sense of relief! On the other hand, true leaders leave good lasting legacies. (They also preserve the legacies of those who came before them.)
You will achieve success
“do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7b).
Biblical success is an outcome of obeying God. Period. Notice that God did not instruct Joshua to seek out prophets, or powerful men trained in battle strategies but only to study the Word of God and to “meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.” That was God’s only formula for success for Joshua! It’s the same for us today.
OBEY THE COMMANDS OF GOD
“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.” (Joshua 1:9).
We experience success only by obeying God’s instructions, and trusting Him without deviating from them (turning to the right or to the left to seek affirmations). Often, God’s instructions do not look anything like the full operating manuals that tell us how things should work. Instead, they can be extremely reticent and adequate only for dealing with the immediate situation.
To counter the lack of details from God, it is very tempting for us to turn to people who are either popular or powerful in their area of specialty for their opinions and recommendations because they speak on the authority they have in their field of expertise. However, acting on their advice as though they represent God’s intentions, we are operating in distrust of God.
Joshua, too, had to choose to be strong and courageous when he faced dangers and threats; God would not make him strong and courageous. In the process, he would have to learn to be totally dependent on no one and nothing else but God. But this dependency on God would create the very conditions for Joshua to develop the necessary character and leadership traits that would determine his success.
What about you? What does it take for you to seize your God-given destiny, embrace the promises of God, and obey His commands?
This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR Session held on 11 January 2025.
