When I graduated college, I spent the summer applying for jobs. Living in a small town in eastern Long Island, there were not a lot of choices in my major of Management Information Systems. I eventually landed a job in Connecticut and so began my corporate career and adult life.
In preparation for a talk I did recently, it occurred to me that sometimes God has to move you, to move you.
What do I mean by this? Sometimes God takes you out of what’s familiar and comfortable so that He can accomplish His plan – not just in your life but others as well.
I noticed this pattern in several people’s lives in the Bible. Each was moved from their hometown to a new land and it was there that great things happened. Here are a few examples:
Moses moved to Egypt, which led to him delivering the Israelites out of slavery and eventually (via Joshua) into the Promised Land.
Abraham moved from the Ur of the Chaldees to Canaan where God anointed him to be the father of many nations.
David moved out of Bethlehem to be the king of Israel.
Joseph moved to Egypt and saved a nation from famine.
Even the apostles left their birthplaces to follow Jesus throughout his ministry and their lives were transformed as well as countless others to this day.
It can be scary to move away from what’s comfortable and predictable – to step out into something new. Yet, we can rest assured that God is with us. He will not leave us nor forsake us. He promises this over and over in the Bible and we can rely on His Word.
Yet, How do we know when it’s time to move on? How do we know where to go?
To begin, we may want to identify the reasons for our desire to move on. We may want to do a pros vs cons analysis and/or discuss it with a trusted friend. However, the best way to get answers to these questions is to ask God. He knows the plans for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11).
What we don’t want to do is to act rashly or make moves based on emotions. That’s never a good idea! Big decisions require big prayers, trusting God that if it is His plan to move you, He will.
Here’s what I know for sure.
If you take a step of faith and move, and it’s not where God wants you to be, He’ll lead you to the right place. He’s really good at making all things work out for our good (Romans 8:28).
God is always on the move, moving us closer to Him.