God's Word

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." – Jeremiah 29:11.

One thing that a new year can do for us is cause us to begin wondering if God has a new season ahead for us in our lives. When thinking about the plan God has for our lives many Christians seem to have embraced the blueprint worldview. According to the blueprint worldview everything in life happens due to the predetermined will of God. This worldview is only partially correct. God does have a blueprint for our lives, but God’s plan will not just happen to us. We must consciously follow God’s plan for our lives.

So how do we know a new season is ahead in the plan of God? One way we know is through grace. Grace is God’s enabling power. When you are in the will of God there will be grace to be there. One way God signals to us that it is time for a new season is by lifting his grace. Very often we do not recognize that God has empowered us until he begins to take his grace away. Things that were once easy and enjoyable often become increasing hard. This is simply because God is no longer empowering us for that task and has a new task ahead. Another way we know God is moving us on is through peace. If a new season is ahead we may have a sense of uneasiness in our spirit. We may think “staying here just doesn’t feel right for some reason.” As the sense of uneasiness increases for where we are at very often a sense of peace will come into our spirts about a new venture. Finally God will use circumstances. There will usually be circumstances that will line up in such a way that it makes sense to move from one season of life to the next. It is in these ways God makes know His will concerning the plan he has for our lives. My prayer is that if God is transitioning you to a new season in life this year that you will be able to discern the will of the Lord. If God has called you to stay in the season you are in my prayer is that you will continue to know his grace and peace for that season.