Something new, something blue

Dear friends

How many of you wish that the new year will be different from 2023?

Have you experienced things you rather hadn’t?

I know I have……

Many teachers, secular and clerical, seem to publish on how to set goals for the new year and how to pray so that these goals would come true.

Might be one aspect of attracting, manifesting, creating and receiving the New into our lives.

However, just like with everything else, GOD is in control and only HE will decide what is going to be, what will happen with us and if we have to go through some things again – or hopefully not.

I guess many of us will agree that it is a good idea to ask GOD to do something new in our lives.

As GOD says in HIS word in

Isaiah 43:19

¹⁹ Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

But are we aware of all the consequences of this prayer?

Are we truly prepared for GOD to literally “burn away” all the “old stuff”, everything that keeps us from having and living in what we are asking HIM for????

Me, I don’t think I have been.

Prepared, I mean.

I have been going through sooooooo many hardships and trials and I have been wanting to throw in the towel many times!

Not abandon my faith, that’s not an option for me, not with my history, not with what I have seen - there is no turning back for me, I would not even know where to go or who to run to other than GOD, OUR GOD, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC and JACOB, the GOD OF ISRAEL, the FATHER OF JESUS CHRIST, the I AM THAT I AM, THE ALPHA AND OMEGA, THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE MAKER AND RULER OF THE UNIVERSE.

It wouldn’t be possible for me to follow anyone else, to take anyone else’s counsel, because I have been searching for so many years, tried so many things before I found HIM and I am convinced as can be that nobody else has THE TRUTH.

However, there are things I have been doing for HIM, have been trying so hard, have been sacrificing my time, my pride, my money……… and when these “low blows” come, I have my moments when I am asking myself “what’s the point” in going through all these lengths, going the extra mile, going above and beyond – if I don’t ever receive my rewards, not even the ones HE promised me, let alone the ones other people are getting.

Can anyone relate?

Have you been wondering if this is fair?

Have you been unsure if it is all worth it, at least to put in SO much effort?

When GOD will love us anyway – and when you (or I in my case) have not even asked HIM for “this path or this thing”, when HE has put these goals and desires in our heart, when HE asked us to go a certain way – and then, HE won’t help us, won’t “straighten our path” as HE promises………

I have just recently understood what’s going on.

In fact, the inspiration came from a movie, one scene where Morgan Freeman explains how it works when we ask GOD for patience – in this case, GOD will not give us patience, but HE will give us opportunities where we can grow and develop ourselves in that very area – in other words, we will be greatly challenged and have no other choice than to work on ourselves and become more patient.

Here’s the clip I mean, the one that inspired me:

And then it dawned on me that this is exactly what I have been experiencing, and also seeing many times when observing other people’s paths.

From what I understand, GOD is a GOD of process and HE will not just “give it” to us, I mean, sometimes and some things, HE will, like salvation, we will never have to work for it, it’s a gift, it is something someone else has already worked AKA suffered for and we get to reap the benefits.

But our own “thing” – our calling, our purpose, our learning curve, our development, the unwrapping of our gifts, the molding, shaping, refining, becoming better, stronger, more effective, more powerful by HIS grace, more aligned with our purpose and more effectively operating in our anointing,

THAT’s something we have to battle, work and labour for ourselves!

Nobody can do that for us!

Nobody can let go of what WE need to let go for us, nobody can develop the strength and habits we will need to succeed – only we can do that!

When I look at it from the outside, on my life and on what I have gone through, it almost is halfway funny and it does make sense to put me through what HE put me through – because when I heard the call, received the promises, I was NOT ready to stand, walk and live in them, at least not for long, not sustainably, not successfully………..

I guess it isn’t me / isn’t us ourselves who will decide when we are ready to step into our calling – fully and visibly, publicly so to say.

GOD decides when we have passed the tests.

As HE has always.

With Abraham, with Joseph, with Moses, with David, with Elijah and Elisha, even with JESUS, there are countless examples in the bible, in fact, there’s hardly any story about someone who did NOT have to go through trials and learnings before they became effective and before they were operating within their strengths, purpose and calling.

Failures and defeats were always part of the process, as was humiliation……

Why would it be different for me than it was to the great men and women of the bible???

I believe it is the way GOD has made it.

Has made our journey through life.

Some say the journey is more important than the destination – perhaps that’s the way GOD sees it?
Perhaps for HIM, from HIS perspective, it is not as important to where we get to as it is what we will learn and experience on the way…?!

At least this way of viewing seems to explain my experience and observations.

And it also makes sense when we look at HIS promises, that HE is good and will use everything to our good and will make everything beautiful in HIS time………. because at least for me, if I would view my experiences without this perspective, it would seem as if GOD had lied to me, as if HE had broken HIS promises, ALL of them(!!!) and as if HE was good to other people but not to me.
This CANNOT be!!!
I cannot believe this!
The reason why I cannot believe this is because I have SEEN GOD’s power and I have been there myself, I KNOW that HE is real and that HE has THE TRUTH, that HE in fact IS THE TRUTH.

So the only logical conclusion for me and for others is that it WILL ALL BE GOOD in the end.

Even if the end is not on this side of the rainbow.

But for most people – or at least in some aspects of our lives – I believe we WILL see GOD’s promises come to pass, will experience HIS blessings…….

BUT we may have to go through some dark times and overcome some tough stuff before we do.

I believe we would be less disappointed if we were more aware of the way GOD works and that there WILL be obstacles and trials and hurdles and storms………..

That the “New thing” will come with something blue…….

What do you think, my friend?

Have you experienced it, that you asked GOD to make changes in your life and all of a sudden, it seemed as if everything got worse…..?
And have you gone through the fire and come out better on the other side….?
I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments.

I hope and pray that this will inspire, encourage, heal and bless you.
And that THE LORD will keep you and shine HIS face upon you and bring you peace.
In JESUS name.
AMEN.