..........................................
Your
Times Of Transition
3 Precious Promises From the Good Shepherd for Your
Times of Transition
Becky Harling
Recently,
Steve and I were in Thailand leading a deeper-life retreat with our Asia
Pacific team.
One
afternoon, I sat out on the back deck, surrounded by tropical beauty, sipping
coffee and reflecting with a friend on our ministry lives.
Paula
shared with me the story of how she and her husband Ty left their career and
home, sold everything and headed for the field.
Since
they started with our organization, they have lived in at least four different
countries.
I asked Paula how she coped with
all the changes, and her thoughts were profound.
Paula
has developed a deep trust in Jesus Christ as her shepherd and believes that
where He leads, she will follow. She is completely surrendered to Him.
At
times, change has been hard, but she believes everything she has in Jesus
is enough.
As
His follower, she has given up any sense of entitlement: her right to own one
forever home, her right to security and stability and her right to live near
family.
Have
there been hard times? Oh, you bet! But because Paula completely trusts her
good Shepherd, she's able to navigate transitions with grace.
I found my conversation with
Paula refreshing ad inspiring.
Her story reminded me of Psalm 23:3 and 6, "He guides me in the paths of
righteousness for His name's sake ... Surely goodness and lovingkindness will
follow me all the day s of my life."
As
her good Shepherd, Jesus has guided Paula through every transition, and His
goodness and love have held her secure.
Seasons of transition are
challenging for me, and I'm guessing they are for you too.
Understand
— I'm not saying we can't grieve the losses that come with change.
Certainly,
it's healthy to mourn those losses, but then we must be willing to put our
hands in the good Shepherd's and follow.
Only
then can we experience the fullness of the abundant life He promised (John 10:10).
Here
are three promises that you can cling to from the good Shepherd to help you
navigate seasons of change:
o The Shepherd is good, and His
intentions towards you are good. Jesus reminded us that He is "The
good shepherd" (John 10:11).
Sometimes in seasons of transition we become fearful
that the future is going to be bad. Even if the good Shepherd allows difficulty
in your life, you can trust Him.
He promises to bring good even out of evil as you
trust Him (see Rom. 8:28).
o The Shepherd will guide you in
the right paths. God's primary agenda in
your life and mine is our transformation into the image of His Son, Jesus
Christ.
As our Shepherd, Jesus will lead us in the right paths
for this to occur (Ps. 23:3).
He knows what you need during transition, and He will
provide it.
o The Shepherd's presence will be
with you during seasons of transition. Fear is our natural response when life feels out of
control, but knowing that God's presence is with us brings comfort and
reassurance.
David, the writer of Psalm 23, wrote, "I
fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort
me."
David
knew that if the presence of God was with Him, He could face any enemy or any
difficulty.
Friend,
the same holds true for you and me. No matter what you face tomorrow, the
Shepherd will be with you!
I have just
discovered this new song by Shane and Shane called "Psalm 23 (Surely
Goodness, Surely Mercy)."
As you listen to
the song, praise Jesus that He is your Good Shepherd.
You can count on
Him through every transition.
For more songs to
prompt your praise, check out the playlist for Who Do You Say That I Am?, my
new Bible study releasing today:
o Here's
the Spotify link: bit.ly/WhoDoYouSayS
o And
here's the YouTube link: bit.ly/WhoYouTube
Becky Harling, an author, certified speaker, leadership coach and trainer with the John Maxwell Team, is an energetic and motivational international speaker inspiring audiences to overcome their greatest life challenges and reach their full God-given potential. Her most recent book is How to Listen So People Will Talk. Her husband, Steve Harling, is the president of Reach Beyond, a nonprofit organization seeking to be the voice and hands of Jesus around the world.
This article originally appeared at beckyharling.com.
Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
AMAZING CHRISTMAS DEALS: (1) Buy A Set, Get A Set FREE on all Life in the Spirit Bundles. (2) Save 30%-60% on all Tote Bag plus Book Bundles. (3) Save 50% off Select Bibles plus receive a Free Gift. Visit the Charisma Store to view all our specials. U.S Residents always get FREE Shipping!
Help Charisma stay strong for years to come as we report on life in the Spirit. Become an integral part of Charisma’s work by joining Charisma Media Partners. Click here to keep us strong!
