See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

It would seem as though God is into new beginnings. He also seems to have a habit of birthing them in unlikely circumstances. There are a few bible stories that instantly come to mind on this topic. For example, the Virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus in a manger, a young boy named David defeating Goliath with a small slingshot and a few stones he picked up off the ground, or Saul, who started off persecuting the early followers of Christ, then after radically encountering Jesus, he became Paul, an apostle of Jesus and one of the most influential voices in the New Testament.

We are living in wild times right now, and wouldn’t it be “classic enemy strategy” to keep people believing that these months will only be a time of reduction in our lives. In our own family, we have experienced some major pushback and loss during these weeks as we were forced to temporarily close the physical doors of our family business. After the initial shock, my husband sat at our dinner table and began to talk about our future. Within a few minutes, we quickly realised we were both sensing that that this was a time for innovation and knocking on new doors, not a time to shrink back. Even though there were some obvious doors closing, we felt stirred that we needed to believe for new ground and new opportunities.

We worship a God who makes a way in the wilderness and builds streams in our wastelands. You can be encouraged today if you find yourself in an unlikely circumstance, God is making a new way. When you take a deep breath and still your heart before Him, can you sense Him leading you? Perhaps you are spending extra time at home right now and wondering “can anything new come from this”? Is He drawing You, wooing you, into deeper spaces of intimacy with Him? Has your schedule been turned upside down and inside out? Is it possible that God would use this time, to shake off old ways of thinking and lead you into new thoughts and wide-open spaces to dream Holy Spirit inspired dreams? It may look entirely different to the story you had etched in your heart, but I know this to be true… our God is faithful, and He wants to enlarge our hearts and increase our capacity. He loves us. He desires good things for our lives and for our families. He has given us favour and can bring timely opportunities that would harvest “unlikely” fruit through these unprecedented days.  Like David, you may not feel like a giant right now, but are there a few small stones nearby that you could use to step out and see supernatural victory in your life?

Psalm 4, in The Passion Tanslation, David says,

“Whenever I was in distress, you enlarged me. I’m being squeezed again – I need your kindness right away! Grant me your grace, hear my prayer, and set me free.”

Let’s believe together that during these days, God would use our unlikely circumstances to enlarge our lives and create new beginnings that could never have happened otherwise.

In Jesus’ Name.