What's on the Other Side?
Crossing Over Is Only the Beginning
We often pray for change, but what happens when it finally comes? The Israelites' journey reminds us that arriving somewhere new is only the beginning.
We often speak about crossing over into a new season, particularly when we've been praying and trusting God for something to change in our lives.
We look forward to what lies ahead, hoping that things will finally begin to fall into place. But I wonder how often we stop to think about what happens once we get there.
For the Israelites, crossing the Jordan River was a remarkable moment. After years in the wilderness, they were finally entering the land God had promised them.
Yet life on the other side was not without its challenges. There were battles to face, unfamiliar territory to navigate and a whole new way of living to embrace.
Crossing the Jordan was an important step, but there was still much ahead of them.
I think there's something here that speaks to many of us.
We can spend so much time asking God to change our circumstances that we give little thought to how we may need to change along the way.
Sometimes we want something new, but we still approach life with the same thinking, expectations and fears that shaped our previous experiences.
And perhaps this is part of what makes transition uncomfortable. We find ourselves in unfamiliar territory, without the certainty or confidence we thought we would have.
We may even question whether we've heard God correctly when things don't unfold as we expected.
But walking with God has never meant that we will always know exactly what lies ahead.
When we read Joshua 3, we see a people who had to trust God's direction and take steps of faith before the way through the Jordan was opened.
They didn't have every answer and neither do we.
James 1:3-4 “because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
There are times when our understanding only begins to catch up with our obedience.
Perhaps you're in one of those seasons now. Things are changing, but you're not quite sure what to make of it all. You sense that God is leading you forward, yet there are still unanswered questions and areas where you feel uncertain.
I want to encourage you not to become discouraged simply because the next season looks different from what you imagined.
Give yourself time to recognise what God may be doing in you, not only around you.
There may be attitudes that need to change, things you need to release or decisions you've been avoiding.
There may also be opportunities and responsibilities that require you to trust God in ways you haven't needed to before.
And remember, entering a new season doesn't mean everything has to happen immediately.
Hebrews 10:36 “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what the Lord has promised.”
As you move forward, take time to ask God what God wants you to give your attention to. What needs to be established? What relationships need nurturing? What has the Lord placed in your hands that now requires commitment and stewardship?
These are important questions because the life we live on the other side matters just as much as the crossing itself.
My prayer is that we would not only have the faith to follow God into something new, but also the wisdom, courage and willingness to grow into what the Lord has prepared for us.
And perhaps that's something worth reflecting on today: What might God be asking of you in this season that you haven't yet given much thought to?
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
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