Tag: transition

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A few weeks ago, I lost something dear to me. It’s trivial really, I lost my gym locker token which I’ve had for ten years. Despite not being worth much in monetary value, it has great sentimental value as it supports a charity that is local to where I live and has connections with my children. I was quite annoyed that it had disappeared and was surprised to feel sad about it. I searched everywhere but couldn’t find it, and eventually I became resigned to the fact that it was gone.  

This morning, I got in the car to drive to work and as I put my bag down on the the passenger seat, I could see something metallic poking out from the back of the seat: there nestled in the crease was my token! I’ve no idea how it got there; the last time I saw it was on the counter in my kitchen.  

As I picked the token and put it back in my purse, I felt the Lord say that what has been lost or stolen from my life will be restored to me; even things that seem insignificant or too small to be important will come back to me in time. Having been through decades of unexpected loss, this gave me great hope that the Lord is in the process of bringing change and restoration.  

I then saw a picture of two number eights next to each other. Biblically the number eight means new life, and two of them signifies double new life. I immediately thought of Job 42:10 (NIV): 

“After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.”  

In the Old Testament, Job experienced great loss: he lost his health, wealth and children but he never lost his love for God and his willingness to follow him not matter how hard his life circumstances were. Job’s character was tested when his friends didn’t understand or help him; even God was angry with the way his friends lacked hope for his situation. However, Job had faith that God would restore his life and at the end of the book we’re told that when Job prayed for his friends, God restored everything he had lost by double the amount.  

I sense that many of us are coming to the end of hard seasons and trials. We may have lost a lot, but we have learnt plenty that will be useful for the season ahead. The Lord will restore double what we have lost and use what we have learnt to bring good in both our and others lives. The key to this double restoration is that we pray for those who have hurt us and forgive them. As we release these people and situations to the Lord, change will occur in unusual ways. Just as the token somehow made its way to my car, restoration will occur through people and places that we haven’t expected.  

As this season draws to a close, it’s time get our houses in order, release those who have wronged us and prepare ourselves for the double restoration that is coming to us. What was lost will be found again! 

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A Prophetic Word For 2024: Let Loose 

Every December I ask the Lord for a word or theme for the coming year; something that will focus my thoughts and prayers as I cross over into the new. This year the Lord gave me a prophetic word not just for me but for many others too. As always do prayerfully weigh up this word and test it.  

Many of us have had a difficult season over the last few years; we have watched the death of dreams and hopes, lost relationships, and let go of career, business and job aspirations and taken unplanned detours. For me, this has been a ten year journey of transition between the old and new seasons, walking an unknown path and leaving behind things that I hoped for. However, the Lord often asks us to surrender to his will and let go of things that are no longer fruitful so that he can prepare us for the new season ahead, and ultimately new, greater fruitfulness. We have found ourselves in constrictive situations where our callings have been limited for a season, but this been part of the preparation. The last season has felt like death as we have been deeply pruned, we have laid low in the grave waiting for our resurrection.  

In September last year, I felt the Lord say that the season of death was coming to an end and that I would be “let loose” from the pruning and preparation. Let loose is quite an old-fashioned way of saying set free or released. It reminded me of the story of Lazarus in John 11 where Jesus brings raises him from the dead, “Loose him, and let him go” (verse 44); in other words, step out of the grave clothes and live again. I believe this is a powerful call to many of us to rise out of our dead situations and live again.  

I have been waiting for many years to see God move in certain areas of my life, and I believe that the season of God’s wonder working power is here. Just as Jesus said “Lazarus come out”, he is also speaking resurrection life to us. For Mary and Martha, their life with their brother had become a dead dream, but Jesus brought that dream back to life. I believe that Jesus is releasing resurrection power to bring dead dreams and hopes back to life for his glory. Everything in our lives can be transformed by a miracle that reveals who God is to those around us.  

God is calling us out of the tomb, and to thrive as he resurrects our dreams and hopes. He is letting us loose to do the things that he has called us to do. Now is the time to be free, now is the time to be LET LOOSE.