The Unfamiliar Place

As the physical seasons are changing, that is also the case in the spiritual realm. We tend to love songs pertains to it being our season for blessings, prosperity and the like. What about tunes that speak to our season of being purified and transformed? Probably not so much, huh? But being ignorant to the fact that every season isn’t a season of harvest, is dangerous. It’s a hinderance to our spiritual growth and we find ourselves operating in passive routine with God. The word is used to uplift, encourage and motivate just as much as it is to teach correct and rebuke. And I don’t want us to miss out on the new thing God wants to do, because we’re stuck in the comfortability of familiar ways.

The new thing that God wants to do in this season will require a new level of dependency on Him. Remember, we go from glory to glory. With each new level of glory, there is a new level of surrender that is required of us. The type of surrender that breaks us out of what’s familiar and allow God to simply have His way. We can sometimes get so caught up in doing things a certain way because it worked incredibly for us in one or many seasons.. That old way won’t unlock this new level of glory. But the thing is, when we start chasing the outcome instead of the One Who holds our future in His hand, we forfeit God’s extraordinary will for ours. This is where our bible friend Moses, went wrong in Numbers 20.

See, God used Moses to deliver His people out of slavery in Egypt but once they stepped into a life of unfamiliarity, they began to doubt and complain. The very people who were oppressed by the Egyptians, wanted to go back into slavery because they were afraid of strictly relying on God for their provisions. They believed that because they were fed in Egypt, it would be better than taking God at His word, that He’d supply their necessities day by day. 

So let’s get this straight.. God’s people preferred slavery because it was familiar over freedom which only required trusting God to lead them in the unfamiliar? Yep! 

In Exodus 17, the people complained and accused their leader, Moses of trying to starve them to death because they didn’t know where their provision would come from. Moses took the issue to God in prayer, as a wise leader should. God invited Moses to partner with Him in doing the miracle of providing fresh water by striking a rock with his staff. Moses did as God instructed and struck the rock with his stick, initiating a constant water flow to satisfy the people’s thirst. Go Moses!! 

However, the same exact thing happens again in Numbers 20. The people complained again and you’d think that after seeing God’s miraculous work of deliverance and provisions, they’d trust Him by now.. Nope.

Moses, feeling the pressure of people, takes the issue to God in prayer once again and this time God tells Moses to speak to the rock and it would pour out enough water to satisfy the entire community. But instead of speaking to the rock, Moses struck the rock with his staff.. twice. Now Moses, is that what God said to do? Smh. Now let’s put our own name in there because this is exactly how we look when we use chose to trust self over God, doing what’s comfortable instead of doing what we know God is leading us to do just because it is uncomfortable. 

God however, was still gracious enough to allow water to flow out of the rock after Moses’s disobedience. BUT that act of disobedience was costly to the future God had set out for Moses. In Numbers 20:12, God says, “Because you refused to believe in my power, these people did not respect me. And so, you will not be the ones to lead them into the land I have promised; the land flowing with milk and honey.” (Emphasis added)

Whew, that’s tough. But God is sovereign. Scripture says, His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. But oh how quick Moses forgot the many miracles he had personally witnessed God perform.. THROUGH him at that! How quick we forget too.. 

Can we start anew today and resolve to be women who remember His miracles ? Seriously. Things are shifting in the spirit realm and there is a harvest being prepared for the true followers of Christ. 

It is time time spiritually level up. There is more required of us, sis. 

More reliance on God. Actively seeking God. The old way won’t do. Passiveness will not do. It is time to determine to get in the presence of God and ask for His strength to do what He has called us to do and do it! It’s time to surrender, “Not my will Lord, but Yours be done.” It’s time to put the distractions aside and choose Him first, for real. It is time to stop trying to logicalize everything and be Spirit-led, not world led. Let Him lead us little by little to our own personal promised land!

May Moses’s loss be a call to action for us to employ a new level of dependency on God -especially when He prompts change in how we do things. Though, like Moses, we may experience fear of the unknown and the pressures of people; we can’t afford to be paralyzed or led by these. We can instead look at God’s track record of His past miraculous works in our own lives and allow Him to lead us to new miracles! Let not the outcome consume you, rather be consumed by God. And please know you’re not alone. He is revising us all in different ways.. Whether we will lay down our expectations and heed to His leading will make the difference. He is doing a new thing.. Will we experience it? I am confident we will! 

Let’s stay encouraged this week by the words of 1 Corinthians 7:24 (MSG): “So please don’t, out of old habit, slip back into being or doing what everyone else tells you. Friends, stay where you were called to be. God is there. Hold the high ground with Him at your side.”

You got this!

Let’s Pray:

Our Almighty God, thank You that there is nothing too hard for You. But also help us to remember this in times of uncertainty. We can trust You because You hold our future in Your hands. Help us to stay so close to You that we dwell under the shadow of Your wings. When our trust is tempted to waiver, remind us of Your faithfulness. Forgive us for the times we chose comfort over surrender. Enable us to be and do all You have called us to. We want what You want for us God because it’s infinitely more than we could ever imagine. May fear flee and dependency on You take root in us. If its a new way You’re calling us to, we give You our Yes, Lord! We decree that we will not forfeit the blessings over our life. Thank You in advance. 

In Jesus’s name, amen.