In many parts of the world, the season is shifting to winter. From the beautiful colors of fall and leaves changing ... to more dark days of cold with snow... it's a season shift.
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Here in Ethiopia, our rainy season has finally shifted to sun and blue skies.
Seasons shift and things change in life, this is all part of the journey.
I think for many of us though, the past few years have held TOO MUCH shifting and shaking and change.
Covid brought illness and death, masks and quarantine. War and inflation and corruption of leadership seemed to spread, along with natural disasters. Peace was disrupted.
The world seemed to tilt off its axis. Biblical values and principles seemed to fall out of the foundation of people and countries, and even many churches.
What was happening to the world???
When things shift and upend, it's interesting to see our own response and the response of others. Do we freak out? Become dismayed? Overwhelmed?
I'm thankful for God's Word that promises us that we will be okay when things shake ...
I have set the Lord before me, I will not be shaken ... Psalm 16:8
But to be honest, I have felt shaken by the past few years.
And God has been telling me in recent days ... things have shifted Holly ... but I AM HERE. You need to RESET. I can help you!
It's funny how God can get your attention. He did that last week for me...
Last week, I had much to do online. Online work here can be challenging because often "mabrat yellum" or "network yellum" (light and network- not working). As I was trying to download and print documents while praying light and the network held, I managed to catch a "virus" from a flash drive. LOVELY! There was a big response from my IT tech team in USA... my laptop disconnected from the internet. My computer was "isolated" and I was told I needed to do several things before I could get reconnected. The timing couldn't have been worse.
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Yet, God would use this technology problem to teach me a lesson, He's so creative! As I worked through getting my laptop to RESET, God would teach me how He wanted me to go through the same steps ... so He could RESET my life.
For my laptop, the first thing that my IT people did was to "ISOLATE" my computer. My computer needed disconnected from the internet so it could be checked. This is what God often wants to do in our lives. He wants to get us ALONE with Him. He might lead us into a time of solitude.
Times of loneliness we often don't like. We often stay busy or comfortable or entertained or even medicated... so we don't have to be alone. If there's sin or connections we shouldn't have, if there's misplaced trust or misplaced priorities, we might feel those in how we're living. Yet, we might ignore those or hide from God so we don't have to face them or correct them. So sometimes, God will lead us into a desert or wilderness. He might put us in a hard place and keep us there awhile. Why? Because it's often at the bottom, in the pit, in a storm, even a prison cell, where we can hear God best and see ourselves best. God might call us to a season where it's just Him and us, ALONE. And He wants us to see Him, know Him, and love Him and BE JUST WITH HIM during this time.
If you feel in a lonely place... and don't know why... remember God is with you. He's there! He might just want you to Himself so He can talk to you and you can hear Him. Listen for Him. Be with Him...
When you pray, go into your room and close the door, and pray to your Father.... Matthew 6:6
Come away by yourself to a secluded place and rest awhile .... Mark 6:31
Jesus left and went to a secluded place ... Luke 5:16
The Lord is near to all who call on Him ... Psalm 145: 18-19
If God has called you into a time alone.... don't fear. He is there and may just be preparing to RESET you! He might also be trying to RESET others around you also. He might need them alone with Him so they can hear too. Trust Him in the solitude! He has a plan!
My IT tech team told me...next... I needed to SCAN my files for viruses. And they needed to SCAN my laptop from that side as well. If I didn't allow these scans, my laptop could self destruct. Often when seasons shift and God wants to do a new thing in our lives, He will test us and check us for our good. He can "scan" us to show us unhealth that might be there. Small things can become big and can destroy us if not taken care of. We may have connected to wrong things or people. We may have gotten misaligned. We may be holding onto hurt or pride. Our priorities might not be right. Our discipline could be off. We may have things in our foundation that mean more to us than God and we have to let Him show us these areas so we can face them. Bitterness, guilt, shame, sin, unforgiveness ... all need removed from our lives. They can poison us. God already knows it all and sees it all. He wants us to open those areas up to Him and let Him clean those and heal those. We often don't like unhealthy areas to be seen. And often areas that need cut out or removed, can feel painful. But this scan and check is for OUR GOOD. God wants us to move forward and be healthy in the next season. Let Him scan you and check you and do what needs done!
Search me oh God know my heart, try me and know my thoughts, see if there be any wicked way in me ... Psalm 139:23
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction ... Isaiah 48:10
God disciplines those He loves.... No discipline is pleasant at the time, but painful. But later it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it ... Hebrews 12:11
The testing of your faith produces endurance ... James 1:2
God knows the way I take. When He refines me, I shall come forth as gold ... Job 23:10
The next thing my IT team told me to do was to POWER DOWN. My computer needed shut all the way down so the new realignment could kick in. God reminded me here of the cross. We are called to stay on the cross. We are to nail our will and our way to Jesus and surrender everything to Him! This can be scary and painful. It's letting go of control and trusting God to raise you up anew. It's like baptism. You leave it all and let it be buried and then trust that when God raises you up... you will indeed RISE ...
I am crucified with Christ ... Galatians 2:20
Consider yourselves dead to sin ... Romans 6:11
If you do not give up everything to follow me, then you are not worthy to be my disciples ... Luke 14:33
He must increase, I must decrease ... John 3:30
Humble yourselves under God's mighty hand that He may lift you up in due time ... James 4:10
Take up your cross daily and follow Me ... Luke 9:23
Is there anything you need to surrender to God? Anything you need to nail to the cross? Anything you need to give fully to God? Anything you need to let go of? A dream? A relationship? A job? A plan? You are promised in that surrender to God, you will find life. Don't hold onto what you shouldn't! Let it be powered down and turned off! If God tells you to do that, DO IT!
Finally, I was told to POWER BACK on and that the RESET would happen. And it did! My computer turned on and was reconnected to the internet. The virus was gone and all things were working!
God is able to do the same in our lives, to RESET us for the new season ahead ....
The old is gone, the new has come ... 2 Corinthians 5:17
I will heal you and restore you ... Psalm 71: 20-21
Instead of shame, you will receive a double portion. and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance ... Isaiah 61:7
After you have suffered awhile, I myself will restore you ... 1 Peter 5:10
He will lift you up and will keep lifting you up .... Ezekiel 3:12
Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength ... they will run on ... Isaiah 40:31
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has in store for those who love Him ... 1 Corinthians 2:9
I'm so thankful that God is able to RESET us in Him. He can isolate us, scan us, power us down and then power us back up ... resetting us for a new season in Him and for Him.
May we trust you God!
May this new "winter season" season ahead... be one of health and healing and resetting in Jesus Christ for us all.
Please pray for me as I pray this for you. May we be RESET in Him and trust that our greatest season yet is still ahead!
Praises and Prayer Requests
-Praise for good health and birthdays, fall-winter season for my family in USA and my global family.
-Pray for my continued transition to Global Outreach International. I'm still needing to raise one time and monthly support for that. if you'd like to give a one time gift or be a new monthly giver, you can do that now through this link- https://www.globaloutreach.
-Pray for EvaSUE as we continue in the coming time to train new staff and to work on new curriculum and a teaching path for our 50,000 students. Pray for students back to campus now... that God will help them be faithful witnesses of the kindgom and that this witness will create a movement for Jesus to the nations!
-Pray for the new peace agreement signed recently for Ethiopia- that peace will hold and aid will get to all the areas and people that it desperately
-Pray for my long-time friend Belay who recently moved to Canada- that God will bless him in this new place. He will be missed here
I pray as the Thanksgiving holiday arrives at the end of this month, that we all give thanks to God for keeping us and helping us to RESET. He is so worthy of our thanks and gratitude!
Know I'm grateful for each of you!
Blessed November to all you as it continues...
With Gratitude and Thanks from Ethiopia
