November 29, 2024
During my morning time with the Lord I heard him say “Embrace for change”! At first, I thought I heard incorrectly and it was supposed to be “brace yourself for change”, but the Holy Spirit said "no, I’m asking you to 'EMBRACE FOR CHANGE'”.
As I sat with this and as I have been meditating on these words this past week, I feel the heart of God speaking to many of us within the Body of Christ. He is announcing to us a change in the season, a turning of the tides, a stepping across thresholds, and the entrance into "the next". The season of change is no longer coming, it is here! The only way we will find ourselves thriving and soaring to new levels through the changes that are now at our doorsteps, is to Embrace For Change, which can only mean:
Embrace (cling to, fully rely on, surrender to, and wrap ourselves in and around) the Holy Spirit for the changes that are under way.
The definition of Embrace according to: www.merriam-webster.com
EMBRACE
em·brace im-ˈbrās
embraced; embracing
1: to clasp in the arms : hug
2: to take up especially readily or gladly - embrace a cause
: to avail oneself of : welcome - embraced the opportunity to study further
3: to take in or include as a part, item, or element of a more inclusive whole
charity embraces all acts that contribute to human welfare
I feel so strongly that there is nothing in the natural that can fully prepare us for what the Lord is about to do in our lives. The words the Lord has given us, His promises, His vision and direction for our lives are all part of His preparation process, but ultimately there is the unknown parts of His story and our journey that require us to trust Him alone. The only helpful thing we can do is to fully embrace Him and what He is doing and going to do and to rest in confidence in His ability to make a way where there seems to be no way. Notice that He is asking us to embrace HIM. It doesn't mean to lay down and allow circumstances of life to roll over us and overtake us. It doesn't mean there isn't a real battle waging in the spirit that requires us to stand boldly, take back ground that has been stolen, make decrees and declarations for recompense. It doesn't mean passivity by any means. Rather it is a call to abide and reside in the fullness of the Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
There is no fear in the loving embrace of the Father. There is no anxiety in His arms. Rather in His presence is joy forever (Psalm 16:11) and peace that passes all human understanding. Joy and peace are our portion when we embrace Him and allow Him to lead the way. It is the only way to live! He has been recalibrating us and realigning us with this reality so that as we step into these new, and likely unexpected, places we don’t loose heart or fall into fear and panic because we know with full assurance that He is with us. We know where He is and therefore we know we are exactly, which is exactly where we need to be. The past few years have been orchestrated by the Lord to strip us from our independence back to our true state of complete dependence on the Father, His son Jesus, and His Holy Spirit within us. He has been restoring our spiritual GPS so that we stay on track with His purposes and plans for your lives AND so that we lead others in the way of life.
Now before our blood pressure begins to rise and we start having a sense of great impending doom, let me just say this - change is a good thing. We are created for change. We are designed to go from glory to glory and not to remain the same. Although words like this can have the potential to cause us to dread what is ahead, it is important for us all (myself included) to take a deep breath, be still, and know that He is God and He has prepared this change for us and IT. IS. GOOD! The "embrace" is all about swinging wide our arms and saying to the Lord, You are good, the change you are bringing into my life is good, and I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). I am convinced that the change that is upon us and that is coming will set us in place to be used in ways beyond what we could have ever imagined for the Kingdom. This is not just a good thing, but a very necessary shift in our lives to position us for exponential growth in our walk with the Lord and with Kingdom influence for what the Lord is doing on the earth. This season will have generation impact and so we MUST embrace Him so that His will has its full manifestation in our lives and on the earth for years to come.
We have never been here before. Our compass for this journey must remain Jesus as true North! The Lord showed me that just like our GPS apps we use in our cars, the Lord is leading us one turn at a time. As we fully embrace His leading and trust Him completely we won’t need to worry about what is up ahead because He will faithfully show us what is next and we will remain confident because He is the one leading. We will rest in the reality
that:
“Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of the Lord.”
Psalms 23:6 AMP
So whether we are in the midst of change or change is on its way, we choose to “embrace” the leading of the Holy Spirit in every step of the way. We will fully trust in Him and “lean not on out own understanding”. We will allow our Good Shepherd to lead us on this journey into the fullness of His purposes and plans for our lives, the lives of our families, and every one He has called us to journey alongside. His name is Faithful and True and “...in Him we live and move and have our being...” (Acts 17:28). So we can go forward in great confidence that we will see all that He has purposed and planed for our lives fulfilled according to His will.
Scripture References:
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 16:11
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:19
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:18
I can do all things through [a]Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
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