Look! I’m doing a new thing;
Isaiah 43:19
now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it?
I’m making a way in the desert,
paths in the wilderness.
Back when Life-Spring was using the church house as our office, we had a little space in the entryway with a dining table and some chairs. Up on the walls, we hung a bunch of Bible verses that were significant for our church over the years. This verse from Isaiah 43:19 was one of them. The verse speaks about the new thing that God was doing among the people of Israel at the time. God was calling them to let go of the old things to embrace and understand the new. For Life-Spring, I can’t remember who gave us that verse or when it was spoken over us. But I do remember many times when God did a new thing in our church family, and how significant that was.
For many of us, September feels like the start of a new year or new season. For those of us in school or with kids in school, September marks the start of a school year that goes all the way until next summer. This is also the time we say goodbye to summer, although this summer felt far too short! But as the seasons change and things begin to cool down, and as more and more people return to workplaces and their ordinary routines, it definitely feels like the beginning of a new season.
With every new season comes new things. As we break into this new season, it’s a good time to take stock of where we’re at and ask God about what’s next. In the pastoral team, we take September to fast and ask God for direction in our church, our families, and our lives. I encourage you to join us in inquiring of God, and spending some time listening in prayer.
How is God at work in your life in this season? Does God want to do something new at this time? Maybe it’s making a fresh commitment to God in some way, or picking back up on some things we let slide over the summer. Are you going through a season of change or transition? If so, take some time to listen in prayer about the new direction God may be leading you in.
As a church family, let’s become people who listen well, and obey quickly. Every opportunity to hear God is a chance to draw closer to the Lord and grow in our character. As we listen in prayer and take our cares and concerns to God, we’ll see him work in great and often unexpected ways.