New Day Dawning

Here's a little story about the changing of seasons, I pray it is encouraging to all who are currently in a challenging season.

For at least 18 months, possibly longer, I have had this password on my computer, 'new day dawning.' (Now I'm going to have to change it!). Given that I frequently use my computer throughout the day, I was often typing these words and saying them quietly under my breath, 'It's a new day dawning.' I probably declared them at least 30 times a day over our family. 

It was a prophetic statement that God was bringing our family into a new season. It started as a faith declaration as our actual circumstances were not reflecting that in anyway. But there was a sense in my heart that we were on the cusp of something new.

 

A few weeks ago it was my birthday and I was having some time for myself and was hungry to hear from God. At 47 years old, after some very difficult years, I wondered what was He going to say to me? I was reading Luke 5:37-39 from The Passion Translation. Jesus is talking to his disciples.

And who pours new wine into an old wineskin? If someone did, the old wineskin would burst and the new wine would be lost. New wine must always be poured into new wineskins. Yet you say, 'The old ways are better,' and you refuse to even taste the new that I bring'. Luke 5:37-39 TPT

I felt God challenge me with these words, 'Are you open, really open to taste the new things that I am going to bring into your life?'

As God was asking me these questions I was reminded of the new song from Hillsong, New Wine. So I sat in bed listening to that song over and over again,

Make me a vessel

Make me an offering

Make me whatever you want me to be

I came here with nothing

but all you have given me

Jesus bring new wine out of me

The more I listened, the more those words became the cry of my heart, totally surrendering my life and my plans. There was a growing desire to do all that God wanted me to do.

It was as though God was asking me, Are you ready to take all those years of crying out to Me, pressing in, hanging on and trusting that I would bring you through, and lay them down and let me do something new?

A big question. Am I? Can I? Will I? Yes. Yes. And yes.

So why am I sharing this God encounter with you? Simply to encourage those who are still in a night season, possibly feeling like David was in Psalm 13.

How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?

How long will You hide Your face from me?

How long shall I take counsel in my soul?

Having sorrow in my heart daily?

How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and hear me, O LORD my God;

Enlighten my eyes, 

Lest I sleep the sleep of death;

Lest my enemy say,

I have prevailed against him";

Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

But I have trusted in Your mercy;

My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

I will sing to the LORD,

Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 13 NKJV

Over the years people have said to me, 'This won't last forever' and at times I struggled to believe that. As when you are in the night season it is so difficult to see beyond it. In that season Ephesians 3:20-21 was one of the scriptures I spent time daily meditating on ...

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV

Amen. So be it - in your life and in mine. 

Hebrews 11:1 was on the back of our toilet door, a reminder to just believe ...

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

Even as I am writing this post today, sharing the hope that a new season will arrive in your life and mine, making the declaration that a new day is dawning, there is a niggly voice trying to get into my head, saying, 'What about that upcoming scan for Victoria? You know this could all be a lie, perhaps you haven't heard this from God. What a fool you are making of yourself.'

But to that voice I choose to say, 'No, you are a liar,' and declare Ephesians 3:20-21

Never doubt God's mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energises you. Now we offer up to God all the glorious praise that rises from every church in every generation through Jesus Christ - and all that will yet be manifest through time and eternity. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21 The Passion Translation

I pray that you will be able to recognise the enemy's voice when he comes to kill, steal and destroy your dreams and your declarations of faith to move into a new season. So that you can declare God's goodness and faithfulness over your life, and trust that a new season is on the way.