Have you ever felt like God changes His mind about what He is asking you to do?

Back in February 2022, I led devotions and talked about how I felt that God was asking me to go into a season of rest and margin. A season of strategic yes's and more “no”s than usual. Over the past few months, however, I’ve felt like God is calling me back into a season of higher capacity – a season filled with more “yes”s, busier evenings and more active reflection.

Does that make the season almost 2 years ago wrong? I don’t think so.

The book of Nehemiah starts off with a change of seasons for him. Sources say that Nehemiah had lived his whole life in Babylon as part of the exile, but that he loved him Homeland of Jerusalem. He was serving as cupbearer to the Babylonian King when some Jewish men told him about how the walls around Jerusalem were in sorry shape – leaving the returned exiles vulnerable to outsiders. His heart broke over this and after days of mourning, praying and fasting, God put it on his heart to go help organize the newly re-settled city that he loved.

Nehemiah respectfully asked the King if he would send him back to Jerusalem to help rebuild the city. A bold ask, for sure. The King not only agreed, but granted Nehemiah letters of government protection along his journey, approval to have timber given to him to build with. Nehemiah credited all of these blessings as “The gracious hand of God was on me.”

God called Nehemiah from one season into a very different season. The first season provided Nehemiah with the skills (and blessings) to take into the next busy season that God was preparing him for. It wasn’t an easy task, but the rest of the book talks about the wisdom that God gave Nehemiah to be successful for His glory and to positively influence His people, both physically (safety) and spiritually.

Our seasons of life ebb and flow – some are busy, some are restful. God orchestrates each season on purpose and gives us what we need to do His will in each season. Just as God called me into a season of rest earlier, He’s calling me to a busier season now. Sometimes I’m tempted to rush a season – whatever it may be and whatever I want to get to next. Maybe you’re the same way.

But the story of Nehemiah clearly shows us that God has us where we are for a reason and to fully invest and enjoy because all things will eventually pass.

Photo Credit: Aaron Burden via Unsplash.com