I want to show us something beautiful in this piece about the ways and process through which a life can experience lasting change. Let us open our Bibles to the book of Job 14:14 and start our meditation from there. Many of us may not have read this portion of the Bible in a very long time and so, we are being privileged to be reading it in this article. The Bible says: “If a man dies, shall he live again?” Of course, Job raised a fundamental question here, even though this is not the main focus of our discourse, it is important that we answer it.
Listen to Podcast: Understanding The Dynamics And Process of Change
The matters around life after death have been a subject of debate as there are many people looking for answers regarding this. Job lived in the Old Testament and so, he may not have been privileged to have answer as well. But Jesus provided us with an answer in the New Testament and I want us to quickly look at what He said as it regards what Job raised.
In John 5:25 and 28-29, the Bible says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.” In other words, there would be a change from the state of deadness that they had hitherto been, and then live. “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”
Also, in John 6:40, Jesus said: “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” So, from here also, we have seen that as many people that believed in the Son would be raised up to everlasting life in the last day. Paul also, corroborating what Jesus said in John 6:40 wrote to the people in Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. He said: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” Did we see that? So, those who died in Christ would be raised up so that they can reign with Him eternally.
Now that we have helped Job to answer his question, let us proceed to the latter part of that verse (Job 14:14). It says: “All the days of my hard service I will wait, till my change comes.” We have heard this saying over and over again that change is the only thing that is constant in life. For example, people change, things change, times and seasons change as well. In Daniel 2:20-21, the Bible says: “Daniel answered and said: “blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.”
Places also change [I was telling somebody recently about the neighborhood we live in that some five or six years ago, if the person had seen the neighborhood in its undeveloped state, he would not want to purchase any piece of land. But the whole neighborhood isn’t what it was six years ago now]. Nothing is static in life; things are subject to change.
In this text that we read, Job said: “he will wait until his change comes” meaning that change is actually inevitable. Irrespective of the level that you are right now, there is still a change. Nothing goes on forever the same way, things change. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:51 “Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed…” whether we are alive physically, change is inevitable. Even in death, change is still inevitable, that was what Paul was saying. But in the next few minutes, I want to show us very briefly the dynamics and the process of change. If we are truly yearning for change, then we must understand these processes perfectly well and then align ourselves with what God is set to do.
#1. Change Happens in Time [Ecclesiastes 3:1 And 11]
“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven…” Something is very striking in this place we just read. It shows us that ‘things’ are to season and then ‘purpose’ is to time. For example, there are certain fruits we don’t get to enjoy until we are in their seasons. Time is also the unit of measurement for the fulfilment of purpose. In Genesis 8:22, the Bible says: “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.” And so, one of the things you must realize from this point is that change takes place in time. Going back to what Job said: “All the days of my hard service I will wait, till my change comes.” So, what then do you do? YOU MUST TRUST GOD IN TIME IN ORDER TO EXPERIENCE THE CHANGE THAT YOU ARE YEARNING FOR.
And so, verse 11 of Ecclesiastes 3 says: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”
#2. Change Happens Through Prayer [1 Chronicles 4:9-10, Luke 9:28-29]
Prayer is another process that brings about change. Prayer has the capacity to bring you out of a sorrowful bad situation or circumstance into a perfect state that God has planned for you. The story of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 is a classic example of how prayer can change bad situations into good. The Bible says:
“Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So, God; granted him what he requested.”
Prayer not only changes things, prayer also changes us as well. In Luke 9:28-29, the Bible says: “Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.” Jesus’ physical appearance was transformed before his disciples and they saw Him in glory.
#3. Change Happens Through Mind Renewal [Romans 12:1-2, Proverbs 4:20 (Mindedness)]
Another avenue through which change comes is through the renewal of our mind. No real or lasting change happens on the outside without it happening first on the inside. Changes that take place on the outside without it happening on the inside don’t last. Lasting change happens from the inside first. In Romans 12:1-2, Paul said: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Renewing the mind takes place by the things you mind. In Proverbs 4:20-23, Solomon wrote and said: “My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Change happens when we pay attention to God’s word, when we meditate upon God’s word. Joshua 1:8 tells us: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
#4. Change Happens by Constantly Beholding [2 Corinthians 3:18]
Change also happens by the things we look at because what we look at determines most of the times, the outcomes of our lives! Most of the things that we see around us today are not worth paying attention to because, they will not take us to our desire destination. This is why it is important that we behold things that will take us to our desired destination. In Jeremiah 1:11-12, the Bible says: “Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” 12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”
In 2 Corinthians 3:18, the Bible tells us: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” David also said in Psalm 34:5: “They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.”
#5. Change Happens as You Yourself Change [Matthew 9:16-17]
It is quite unfortunate that many of us are praying for change, we are yearning for a desired change, but truly, we are not ready to change ourselves. We want God to change our situation but we aren’t ready to change. In Matthew 9:16-17, the Bible says: “No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
#6. Change Happens Through the Words That We Speak [1 Peter 3:10, Proverbs 18:21]
Words are so powerful. They have the capacity to shape our realities. And so, the first thing that you must do if you would change your realities through your words is that you refrain from speaking negative words over your yourself and situation. In 1 Peter 3:10, the Bible says: “For “he who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.” The reason is because what you utter with your mouth is exactly how your life would turn out. In Proverbs 18:21, the Bible also says: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Prayer:
#1. Lord, I receive the grace to wait on you until my change comes. I will not hurry out of God’s plan and purpose for my life.
Article Source: [Centre for New Dimension Leadership]
