Everywhere I have ministered over the past several months, I’ve asked a simple question: “How many feel as if you have been in a significant and prolonged season of transition?”
The response is always overwhelming. Nearly every hand in the church will shoot up attesting to the fact. No doubt many reading this could testify that you’ve been feeling transition as well.
I write because so many miss the fact that what they have been feeling individually is actually connected to what God is doing corporately in the body of Christ. Right now, there is a transition taking place between spiritual seasons.
God established seasons from the beginning of creation. Genesis 8:22 tells us, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease” (NIV). Just as it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual. Discerning the seasons and, more importantly, the transition of seasons is key if we are to be prepared for the next.
The church is in a season of transition. God is presently at work breaking up the fallow ground. Fallow ground is land that was at one time plowed open but has lain dormant for a season and has since hardened. This is a natural part of the process of letting the ground rest through the winter season. However, when the farmer discerns that spring is on the way, he sets out once again to work the fallow ground with a plow, turning over the soil, breaking and preparing it to receive fresh seed to produce a harvest.
The Lord is placing His hands into the soil of our lives and the life of the church to break up the fallow ground. Like a skilled farmer, He is tilling and turning the ground beneath our feet. This is the reason why we have felt so much turbulence and recognized that we are in a state of transition. It would be easy to personalize this season, believing God is working in you and around you to move you elsewhere. Though this may be the case for some, it is not for all.
It is important to know where God has firmly planted you; that way you don’t mistake a transition in season to be a transition in position. Stay where the Lord has called you. If you have not received a clear word from the Lord, stay true to the last word you heard.
The Lord is turning over the soil and uncovering stones. These stones are secret sins that were allowed to remain hidden for a season, but that time is coming to a close. Those who have not found a place of true repentance, God is bringing into the light. This is why many fallen leaders have been exposed in the last year.
God was silent for a season, giving space for leaders to repent. However, because of His great love, He will not allow any of us to remain in a place of sin. It is a work of His grace to expose us to the light, regardless how humiliating it may be for the moment. His concern is our future destination, not our present discomfort.
God loves each of us and His church too much to allow things to remain hidden. These things must be extracted if the church is to be prepared for the next season.
Do not miss your opportunity to get things right with the Lord and return to a place of holiness! If God has His finger on hidden sin in your heart, take it to Him so He may deal with you in private before He must deal with you in public.
Allow the Holy Spirit to move through you. Follow the psalmist David in his prayer: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23-24, NKJV).
While removing the rocks, God is also uprooting weeds. The weeds are the seeds of the past the enemy has sown. Often these are hurts, offenses and cares of life that choke and hinder fruit from fully flourishing.
It’s time to let go of what you’ve held on to. Your future is not in your past, and you cannot carry these things into the next season. They will hinder your growth. Forgive others, and embrace unity with those the Lord has placed around you. Let Him complete His work of uncovering the rocks and uprooting the weeds. Let Him awaken the soil of your life and prepare it for what is next.
Transition is taking place. The winter season is coming to a close. Fresh spring rains are on the way. Times of refreshing and new life are quickly approaching. God is about to visit His church in the coming days with an unprecedented outpouring for those willing to position themselves for it.
I have spoken with so many pastors who are saying they are personally feeling the draw to return to the prayer closet. Others are feeling it’s time to start making room for God to move in extended meetings. Each are confirming there is a window opening in the heavens for revival. Don’t miss the season!
Jesus charged the multitudes, “Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?” (Luke 12:54-56).
The seasons are changing. Discern the transition, and position yourself correctly in the midst of it. Surrender to that inward pull to come back to place of private prayer, devotion and holiness. Fall on your knees, and experience the clarity of His voice and the sweetness of His presence. Pastors, call the church back to the altar of prayer. Position your people to seek the Lord while He may be found. He is ready to visit His church, if we will open the door!
Daniel K. Norris is an evangelist who works alongside Steve Hill bringing the message of revival and repentance to the nations. Together, they co-host a broadcast called From the Frontlines. Norris also hosts the Collision Youth Conference that is broadcast all over the world. He can be contacted at danielknorris.com.
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