God’s Got You

Scriptures: Joshua 1:9, Proverbs 16:1, Proverbs 16:9, Isaiah 61:3

Lifequake

Regardless of our age or situation, if a lifequake happens—where everything seems shaken up, our circumstances drastically change, or seasons shift—it’s normal to feel out of sorts. We long to have the courage and faith to push through the forest of doubts in our minds and see even the smallest ray of hope shining through the trees, but we often feel lost, misplaced, and directionless. All of which causes us to secretly wonder if we even have what it takes to not only get through our unfamiliar, difficult season but also come out on the other side feeling even better and happier than we did before.

During these journeys into new seasons, it’s easy to get caught up in our emotions and worries, let our fears get the better of us, and forget to look for Jesus. We may find ourselves wondering if He is even aware of our problems, if He sees the fog we’re pushing through, and if He really cares about what we’re enduring.

Joshua 1:9 serves as a sweet reminder that Jesus does care about what we’re going through, and He is with us all the time: “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

This is a beautiful promise to tuck into your heart as you take your first steps in a new season. Also keep in mind Proverbs 16:1: “The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.” And Proverbs 16:9: “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”

The Lord gave us ears to hear Him, eyes to see Him, and a mind to trust Him. He wants us to use all these things with courage, knowing He always has our best interests at heart.

Change can be hard to welcome, especially when we didn’t want that change to occur. But if we embrace it and allow God to lead us through it, it can turn out to be a blessing and we can learn and grow in ways we would have never expected.

Jesus, I invite You into this adventure with me today as I embark on my new beginning. I need Your Strength and Peace to pursue this new season of life and overcome the challenges that lie ahead. Amen.

Scriptures: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Isaiah 55:8-9, Matthew 19:26

The Choice to Embrace Change

When I went through a divorce after twenty-five years of marriage, I had to make a choice. Would I allow myself to stay stuck in the gloomy fog of transitions, refusing to give life another shot and mad about having to begin again? Or would I embrace where God had me, expect the best from Him, and make the most of the new season He had me in?

Embracing change is a choice we all face when transitions roll in like huge waves. We can view transitions with a pessimistic, disheartened, or angry attitude, or we can view them with hope and trust that God has good plans for our future.

The day I realized that I was the only one who could change my life for the better and committed to doing so, everything changed. Although God could guide me, it was up to me to be brave and move ahead. So I embarked on my journey, taking one step at a time, and with each step, I got a little bit stronger and grew a little bit more.

Sometimes we must walk away from what we thought we wanted to find what brings us joy. And often the hardest things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us.

What if you stopped worrying about what could go wrong and instead got excited about all that could go right? Power, confidence, and courage are already inside you! I promise you, if you do the work to find them, God will bless that work.

These are all truths I remind myself of every day, especially when I’m feeling discouraged or afraid. I pray you will remember them too. It’s not always easy and may at times feel impossible in the face of adversity, but take heart, because as Jesus promises us, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible” (Matthew 19:26). For me and for you.

Lord, I am sad that my life has changed so much, and I feel lost and directionless right now. I don’t feel confident about stepping into the new, but I ask that You give me a boldness of faith to trust You and move forward into my new beginning. Amen.

Scriptures: Isaiah 43:18-19, Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 1:6

How Do I Begin Again?

No matter what circumstances have led you to this crossroads, you may find yourself lying awake at night with worrisome thoughts running rampant: How did I end up here? How am I supposed to start over? Should I even try to begin again? Times of transition are opportunities to invent the new you, but fear and a lack of self-confidence can feel like anchors tied to your feet. All the what-ifs haunt your heart like nobody’s business.

In other words, during times of transition, not only do we often not feel like ourselves, we don’t even know who this “new me” is supposed to be. These questions and big decisions can prevent us from seeing all the possibilities life holds and keep us stuck where we are.

The key to finding the courage and desire to see the possibilities in this new season is recognizing the huge difference between starting over and beginning again.

Beginning again doesn’t mean starting over from scratch with no foundation, knowledge, or resources. We all possess memories and experiences to lean on. We have gained wisdom and learned lessons, which have brought us to where we are today. We have developed skills and relationships, endured failures and disappointments, and enjoyed triumphs and successes. We have a past, yet we aren’t the same people we were in the past, so we aren’t starting in the same place we ever started before.

So we aren’t actually starting over. We’re simply beginning again in a new place in life. As we read in Isaiah 43:19, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” We’re beginning anew in the place God has us right now. A place He has prepared for us and prepared us, a place where He can continue His work in us (see Philippians 1:6), and a place where He has equipped us to thrive.

Jesus, give me the wisdom to be aware of my emotions and the ability to control my thoughts so neither of them will become a hindrance. Fill me with excitement about this fresh start, about feeling joy again, and about trusting You all along the way to open the right doors as I begin again. Amen.

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 31:8, Isaiah 41:10, Philippians 3:12-14

Looking Ahead

Have you ever tried to drive your car in reverse for more than a block? It’s not nearly as effective as driving forward. Similarly, if we want to transition well, looking forward is the key to success. It will always work in our favor to accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be.

The apostle Paul is a great example of doing this. He reminded the people of Philippi that nothing mattered more than having a relationship with their Savior, and he shared tips for how they could prioritize Him daily. Then he gave them encouragement to keep pushing forward.

Paul wrote, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:12-14).

Paul wanted them to leave the past behind and trust that God had already gone ahead of them and planned the way. Deuteronomy 31:8 also assures us of this truth: “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Our memories will always be in our minds, the sweet ones and the bitter ones. We can learn from the past and use that wisdom to move forward. But we can’t live in the past. We can only move forward, living one day at a time and focusing on what God is doing right now.

Jesus, You know the fears in my heart and the obstacles that stand in the way of me pressing forward in this new season. I pray for the strength to push past my doubts and not allow fear to hold me back from experiencing what You have in store for me. Give me the wisdom, strength, and stamina to keep running the race and pursuing the dreams I know You’ve put in my heart. Amen.

Scriptures: Psalms 126, Philippians 4:13, James 5:10-11

Your New Beginning Starts Now

When we accept that we’re in a new stage of life—knowing profound growth and change will happen, believing deeply in ourselves and our capabilities, and knowing nothing is impossible with God—only then have we taken that first step toward the person we want to become or toward that place in life we want to be.

The new beginning you’re heading toward may seem blurry right now. But I invite you to believe that you can chart a path to reinventing yourself, to reshaping your life, to achieving your dreams and desires, to finding joy and growing in all those areas in which you are experiencing change.

I know believing in ourselves—and the new that God has for us—doesn’t always come naturally. I also know sometimes the road ahead looks so foggy, scary, and treacherous that we can’t find the determination to drive through it with peace and unwavering faith.

Yet God has already given us the ability to carry out even our biggest dreams and make it through hard transitions. We cling to the words of Paul in Philippians, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). When we know that we can do whatever we feel called to do through the power of Christ, we become willing and even excited to start the true adventure of beginning again.

You’ve got this because God’s got you. Now let’s get moving.

Lord, fill me with peace amid change and chaos and infuse me with a sense of hopefulness and joyfulness that I can find only in You. Fill me with confidence in myself, and help me trust You enough not only to have the courage to do the hard things but also to have peace along the way. Help me see myself through Your Eyes and trust that You will give me whatever it takes to begin again and succeed. Help me always remember You’ve got me, You hear and see me, and You have a Perfect Plan for my future. Help me feel Your Presence as You hold my hand and walk me through the fog into the beautiful future You have mapped out for me. Give me ears to hear Your Whispers of Guidance all along the way. Amen.