Surviving transition

Genesis 31:17-31; 32:1-12

God has given me a word for all those who have been through a lot in life.

Jacob had been a fugitive running away from his brother, he watched his interest switched, his wages had been changed ten times and served 14 years for his wives and 6 years for his wealth. But God favoured him. Jacob took his wives, children and property and fled from his in-law. He had been through a lot for 20 years.

God told him to leave but the method he chose was later described by Laban as foolish. The move was right, the timing right, but the method was not. He (Jacob) revealed later that his decision was based on fear. I wonder if God would not have helped him to take care of Laban if only he asked God for help! It is not sufficient to know ‘what’ and ‘when’, we must also ask God for the ‘how’.

Why did Rachael steal her father’s gods? The gods you bring into your marriage from your fathers will ruin you. Could she have been barren all this while because she was an idol worshipper at heart? I do not know! She died on the way because her husband who had relational authority over her spoke a curse inadvertently.

10 Things you need to know about transition

1. You go through a transition to come to your position. Jacob had been through a lot but now he was in transition to come to his position. Laban’s place was not his place.
2. There will always be people who have a reason to hate you or who will want to hurt you. God intervened to stop Laban even before Jacob knew he was being pursued. Do you know that there are pursuers in your life you don’t know? May God prevent your pursuers from catching up with you! May God prevent them from doing you any harm in the name of Jesus! May God speak to them to leave you alone! Ask the Lord to draw a boundary between you and those who have a reason and the capacity to do you harm in Jesus’ name!

I am not bothered about those who have a reason but have no capacity to hurt me but … those who have a reason and the capacity to harm me. Laban said I have the capacity to harm you (verse 29). Esau also had a huge reason and the capacity to hurt Jacob – he came with 400 of his men. It is even worse when those people are your relations or friends who know you very well are the ones after you.

3. You will not only contend with problems from your past but also with problems from the future you are trying to go to. As soon as Jacob finished resolving his issue with Laban, he had to face Esau his brother. He had to deal with trouble from his immediate past and distant past in order to enter into a free future. He was not only contending with problems from his past, problems from the future he was going to tried to prevent him from advancing.

Anything from your distant and immediate past that will come back to hurt you in the future will be dealt with one after the other. For example; previous abortion or abortions resulting in difficulty in getting pregnant coming to hurt you in marriage, debts from the past coming to harass you now, covenants made by ancestors limiting you in the now, people you offended in the past trying to take their pound of flesh now, etc. These are examples from your past. Perhaps you are a single believing God to get married, but the moment you decide on who to marry, your people start proving difficult. That is a problem from the future you are trying to go to. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to every claim of the devil in your life and to give the wisdom to navigate through them.

God will take care of anything from your past capable of messing up your future! He will remove problems from the future you are trying to get to.

4. People are more vulnerable when in transition. The enemy likes to strike when you are weak.
5. Every transition is painful even for a nation. The pain and uncertainties of transition makes it scary and unnerving. There are luxuries you have to forgo to just get through the difficult times. Transition therefore calls for sacrifice. It calls for adjustments. It requires grace.
6. Your past does not pursue you until you are heading for your future. Hell does not break loose until you are on your way to your breakthrough. Hell broke loose against Israel only when they were on their way to the Promised Land. If issues from your past suddenly rear their heads, it’s because you have left where you have always been and are moving to where you ought to be. Do you know how many crises erupt just when you have found the person you want to marry and you are making moves?
7. Watch who you take with you while making your transition. Watch their spiritual status; watch what they believe etc. -watch out for people who can slow you down. Everyone from your past is not going to your future. Stay away from people who are not going to your future.
8. If you survive, it’s because of the Covenant. God intervened in the life of Jacob because of the covenant. He said I am the God of Bethel where you made a vow unto Me to serve Me and I promised to keep you. God never abandons His friends. If you focus on grace you will win hundred percent of the time. Ensure you are in a covenant relationship with the Almighty God.
9. Hell may break loose, but it can never stop your breakthrough! How many times have we seen that in God’s chosen people!
10. Breaking comes before breakthrough. Jacob learnt to depend on God. Attitudes were changed – the taker became a giver. Strange gods had to be removed. His motive was purified. His focus was changed from self to God and others.

God is about to give rest to those who have been through a lot. You have been through a lot so that you can come to a lot. You have gone through much, but you are about to come to much. This nation has gone through a lot but we are about to come to much. Ask the Lord for protection and favour as you march into your future.

God bless our leaders, God bless our dear nation!

Bishop Dr. Charles Olowojoba is the General Overseer of Dayspring Bible Church Worldwide with HQ in Abuja, Nigeria & President, Dayspring Christian Ministries Int’l.

Website: www.dayspringcmi.org

e-mail: [email protected]

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