The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. – Proverbs 4:18
God calls us to capture His possibilities for each season of our lives. Reject the world’s thinking about age. With age comes increase, significance and substance. In most parts of the world, age is revered and esteemed, unlike it is generally viewed in contemporary North American culture. As years accumulate, people who submit to the world’s mindset, submit to the pressures of a culture idolizing youth. The course of change and age impacts everyone’s life sooner or later. With change, some people’s world comes apart, and they begin to lose their sense of value and self-worth. But with each season of our lives, God desires to sharpen our focus if we will answer His call to turn to whatever it is He is doing right now.
Six Ways to Turn God’s way
1. TURN with a compass’ precision, which can provide a course adjustment or a refinement of direction.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye (Psalm 32:8).
You are led by God’s eye, as you come into His presence and look into His face. There are things He has planned for you, which you will either hit or miss, depending on the accuracy of direction in your life. The significance of staying on target can mean the difference in making it to the next stage of God’s purpose for your life, or becoming lost wandering around in your own wisdom.
2. TURN to a new page in a journal, providing space for what is to be written now.
“Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this” (Revelation 1:19).
If you do not write things on God’s terms, you will wind up writing them on your own terms, and they become meaningless. Let God interpret each “new page” in your life with His purpose. “His mercies are new every morning.” He gives us time and years for a purpose, not just to get old.
3. TURN with the accuracy of a clock’s movement.
Every season of our life brings us to another time zone. You decide whether you are going to let the Lord work in the time zone of your life now, or if you are going to pretend you’re living in another time. I’ve seen mature people lose touch with where they are (or should be) in the years of their life, and younger people, in their twenties and thirties, living as if they are still in junior high school! They’re not functioning in maturity. They’re not tuned to their time of life. “Do not remember the former things… Behold, I will do a new thing” (Isaiah 43:18, 19). The Lord has a new thing for you now, in this season and age of your life.
4. TURN and alter your stance to see the vision of a broader panorama.
“Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields…” (John 4:35).
Your stance determines how broad your vision is. You can think you see it all, but if you open to God’s stance, you really will see it all.
5. TURN with a focusing devise, like a microscope or a telescope, to see what you would otherwise not be able to see.
Open my eyes that I may see great and wondrous things from Your law (Psalm 119:18).
Let Jesus keep sharpening your vision! The Lord wants to refine our vision, so we no longer see what inconveniences us about people and see their needs, hurts and concerns, instead. If you don’t want to wind up old and cranky, tune in to God’s vision, instead of your own self-centeredness.
6. TURN as a thermostat does to increase room temperature.
“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11)
Have passion in your soul for God, for Jesus Christ and for the ultimate significance of what life is. “So then because you are lukewarm… I will vomit you out of My mouth”(Revelation 3:16). Maintain the Holy Spirit’s fire and fullness as you grow older.
The “call to turn God’s way” means to adjust to whatever the Lord is doing right now and trust in His faithfulness.
