Rise Up & Endure Seasons of Change

“To everything, there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Seasons of change happen in everything, even in your life. In nature, as the leaves begin to change and the air gets cooler, we embrace it and bring out fall-flavored coffees and hot chocolate! We should embrace changes in seasons the of our life as well. Do you recognize the seasons when God is bringing them about in your life?

Pray, “Lord please open my eyes to see the seasons of change as it arrives that you are authoring.”

I. Recognizing the Season

II. Enduring the Season

III. Overcoming and Coming Out of Change

I. Recognizing the Season

Ref: Abram and Father Terah—then Abram by himself, Jacob when left uncle to come home and make amends with his brother.

When the seasons of change are in the process, sometimes you may feel the frustration in your spirit. Sometimes you may know what that frustration is and at other times, you can’t pinpoint it but you know you are frustrated in your spirit and do not know why. It is not other people! It is the change in position or path you are on and God is about to move you.

Jacob, whose name means, “deceiver,” did not want to be known for that any longer. He deceived his brother; he deceived his father and his uncle and did not want to be known as that any longer. He took his wives, children, and flock and went back home to the place where it all began. He went back home to meet up and make amends with his brother.

“And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. Then Jacob was left alone, and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”

But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:22-28)

Keep trusting God through the change, staying close to Him in the process and you will come through victoriously.

There will always be seasons of change in your life and the key to recognizing when these seasons are being brought on by God is to stay close to Him.

“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22)

II. Enduring the Season of Change

Here are some steps to help you when that frustration comes on:

Ref: David—on the run from king Saul—and we got the Book of Psalms from his constant crying out to God and enduring and not giving up.

1. Go to God in Prayer—ask Him, “Are you about to bring me into a new season? And if so, how do I deal with it?”

2. Spend time with HIM! The more time you spend with someone the more you become sensitive to their nature. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you will sense, and discern, changes brought about by God and you will know when to be patient and wait. When to move and a knowing will be in your spirit telling what to do.

a. Talking to Him

b. Praying

c. Reading the Bible

d. Praise and Worship

e. Sitting silently in His presence. (Conversation is two-way! Be quiet long enough to listen and give Him time to speak.

3. Speak out positive affirmations of the promises He made you and promises found in the Bible! And speak out loud to yourself! This really helps because when you say it out loud, your heart hears and faith is built up within your heart.

4. Do What He says.

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

(Romans 10:17)

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

(Galatians 5:16-18)

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:1-5)

III. Overcoming and Coming Out of Change

Ref. David—overcame and became king, Esther and the Israelites overcame and they were saved from Haman’s plans, Nehemiah and Ezra and the people overcame the enemy’s plots to stop the rebuilding of the wall and gates of Jerusalem and temple after the exile.

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12)—walking through trials of life trusting God and allowing the trials to grow you spiritually while growing your faith as well.

God is doing a new thing, do not give up. You asked for certain things, and sometimes things, the path you are one, jobs, location etc. need to change in order to fulfill it. Trust Him and allow God to be God in your life, in control of everything.

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.”

(Isaiah 43:18-19)

Do not lose heart, do not give up! God is faithful to all of His promises and He will help you and give you the strength to endure! God helped many people we read about in the Bible and they overcame and He is no respecter of persons, He shows no favoritism and He will help you as well! Victory is promised, “With God we will gain the victory and He will trample down our enemies.” (Psalm 60:12)

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:9)