Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
– Isaiah 43:18-19
You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new.
– Leviticus 26:10
We serve a God of Newness. He is in the business of providing and making all things new in His time. We were never created to remain at the same age, position or same level in life. We are designed to grow, increase and move from one level of life to another.
As we are in a new month and ready for the new levels, we must begin to look back at the last month, reevaluate and take stock of the past month and start preparing spiritually, mentally and physically for the new things God is set to do.
Each of us needs to experience newness in our careers, relationships, businesses, ministries, etc. We must crave it and continually seek out the new to replace the old.
In order to finish and fulfil our destiny, we must be willing and ready to make room for the new and next level.
Moses declared in Deuteronomy 1:6-7a:
The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, ‘You have stayed long enough on this mountain. Turn and resume your journey…’
Irrespective of how we have become so comfortable with our present condition either because of our victories and breakthroughs or because of our failures, fears and oppositions, we should be willing to make room for the new and next level.
Making room for the new, most times involves changes in the status quo, our focus, our mindset, and our ways of life.
And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
– Mark 2:22.
After all, when you buy a new sofa, you don’t try to place it on top of the old one. You move the old one out first and then bring the new one in. This creates the space you need and also does something more. By letting go of the old sofa, you also release any associations you have with it and any stagnant energy that has accumulated around it.
When our lives are filled with too much stuff or too many things from the past, the energy stagnates, and there will be a corresponding stagnation in some aspects of our lives.
The obvious outcome is that the benefits of clearing out clutter far outweigh any perceived benefits of keeping them.
Obstacles to Making Room for the New
A. Fear of opposition or of the unknown – Numbers 13:31-33
B. The comfort or familiarity with the old – Acts 10:11-16
C. Lack of Knowledge and/or preparation – Deuteronomy 1:5
D. Repeated attempted failures – Judges 6:12-15
How To Make Room for the New
1. We must anticipate and prepare for it.
‘Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.’
Isaiah 43:19
We serve a God that has and is doing much more than we have ever experienced. To enter and enjoy the next new level, we should anticipate and adequately prepare for them. We must see the new things God is doing despite our present situation. Opportunities will always come but if we are not prepared for them the possibilities of experiencing the new will be lost. Take time out this month to plan and prepare for new things and the next levels in life. Our God has greater and better things for us.
2. Don’t allow the present level or status to define your limit.
The enemy of the best is the good.
You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new.
– Leviticus 26: 10
No matter your past or present level, they cannot be compared to the future that God has mapped out for you. You may have to leave the present not because they are not good but because they are not relevant for the new level.
‘that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.’
Ephesians 4:22-24
We must put off the old in order to put on the new.
3. Be open and sensitive to God’s leading.
‘“The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. ‘
Deuteronomy 1:6
One of the hindrances to embracing the new is our familiarity and attachment to the old. The ultimate fulfilment of destiny is dependent on how we are sensitive to his timing and guidance.
Read about Philip in Acts 8:6-8, 26-30 and compare to Peter’s hesitation to God’s next move in Acts 10:9-21.
4. Take practical steps toward the new.
‘While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you. Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.” Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, “Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?”’
– Acts 10:19-21, NKJV
In making room for the new, we must be ready to take immediate necessary action as led by the Holy Spirit. Peter in the above passage was hesitant because the new was counter-culture, contrary to their belief and lifestyle as Jews.
The new level is already waiting for us. We have to embrace it with faith, the right attitude, mindset and enthusiasm.
Paul revealed how to embrace the new in Philippians 3:13-14:
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Conclusion
Our being alive today is an indication that we have not arrived yet. It’s not the time to quit or become complacent but the time to begin to make room for the new.
There is more to be accomplished for Christ. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we will embrace the new and fulfil our destinies