The Year of the Turnaround

 

¹⁸ “But forget all that—
    it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
¹⁹ For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.  

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NLT) 

 

At the end of 2012 the Holy Spirit delivered a profound word to my heart as he was preparing me for God's plan for my life for the coming year. He told me to plan to change my plans because this would be the year of the turnaround in many areas of my life. At the time, I had no idea what all he was referring to.  And as it is so common with God, he did not show me the whole picture.  He was just asking for my trust and my obedience.

 

Some of you may not realize this but many Christians walk with God more so from habit than from the heart. It's how we live without even thinking about it. And the only time it becomes noticeable is when God begins to do a new thing in our life that requires our participation. You know how it goes. You pray and ask for things to change and when he presents the prescription for the change...hmm. Most times, it never resembles what you are accustomed to. It doesn't look like it or sound like it.  And certainly does not feel like it. This is where trust and obedience will make the pivotal difference. Can you forget all of the past to enter into the new that God has for you?

 

Let me share with you some of the things that Holy Spirit is teaching me so that I can move forward with God's better plan for my life.

1. SOME THINGS WILL NEVER CHANGE - My flesh is always going to be in rebellion against God's will for my life. However, my born again spirit is stronger than the flesh. If I walk in the spirit I will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. (Gal. 5:16) I must keep my eyes fixed on God's word so I won't give in to fear or intimidation or anything that resists God's will for me.
2. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I HAVE TO DO SO THAT GOD CAN DO THE THINGS THAT HE PROMISED TO DO - I know I just said a lot there but the fact remains that we cannot continue to think that a prophecy or a spoken word or a desire of our heart is just going to magically happen. No, this is what Holy Spirit spoke to my heart one day when I was in utter frustration over some areas of lack in my life. "You won't see what you decree until you prepare for what you declare." (Proverbs 18:9)
3. EVERYBODY WON'T HAVE THE SAME LIFE BUT EVERYBODY CAN HAVE A VICTORIOUSLY HAPPY LIFE - This was key to me. Everybody is going through something!!! It may not seem like it when you are looking with the natural eye. It may not seem like it when all you can focus on is your own problems. But the ones who you think are not going through anything are the ones who are mature in the faith and have been trained by Holy Spirit on the correct way to respond to trouble, heartaches, disappointments, adversities and temptations. (1Peter 5:8-11) In other words, they have learned how to deal with it in private so they can act right in public.

I don't know about you, but I refuse to be stuck in the past.  I am going to embrace the promise for this to be my year for everything to turnaround in my favor so God's will can be manifested in every area. God has my heart which means I will trust and obey. To God be the glory!

Pastor Karen