We’ve just wrapped up the first month of 2025. I don’t know about you, but my introduction to the new year was far from warm and friendly. It was like entering into a new class and meeting the new teacher who happens to be like an army general that’s on a rigorous mission. The kind that walks in the room saying, “Alright soldiers, this is no place for wimps! A war is out there, and it’s my assignment to take you out on the battlefield… right away!”
The thing is, a soldier enters into battle with the hope for victory, but on the battlefield, he must also go through some things.
UNUSUAL PATHS
I’m not going to overwhelm you with all I’ve been through as I transitioned from the end of 2024 into 2025, but I will tell you this much: I have been navigating some rather unusual and unfamiliar paths!
Here’s the good part, though: all along the journey, God kept showing me that He is with me.
I could hear Him saying, “I am with you.” And although the unfamiliar usually means we don’t really know much; while I was on my journey, I was certain of two things—that God was with me, and that I was not the only one going through something/s.
The reality of life is that we will always have some things to go through. You might have just gotten through something; be going through something right now, or be heading into something that you don’t even know about yet. But, if you are a true believer in Christ, once He allows you to face any kind of challenge, He also has a plan to get you through it. Additionally, don’t you know challenges are usually signs that you are entering into something great? However, you must get through the challenge first. Don’t despair; there is always a way to do so victoriously. The catch is it requires faith in God and obedience to His directions.
Exodus 14:1-4 gives us a good picture of how to go through what we’re going through:
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So, the Israelites did this.”
“GOD SPOKE TO MOSES”
Did you see to whom God spoke? Moses. When God is about to do something great in your life, He doesn’t go around telling everybody. It often takes great faith to take the steps He requires. His plans hardly ever make logical sense; thus, He must divulge it to someone with great faith so that it can be executed without doubt.
When we are in the midst of challenges, we tend to waver in faith, and this is why God sometimes must engage a man or woman of great faith to get us moving towards the promise.
Lesson: we must have men and women of strong faith around us, and we must learn to submit to Godly leadership and covering from those whom God appoints over us.
“ENCAMP BY THE RED SEA”
Sometimes God will reroute us, by having us camp out right in the midst of what seems to be an impossibility. Can we trust that He still has a good plan even though where He has us looks like a bad place? As we see in the scripture, it may just be that God is hiding us at this seemingly impossible place because He wants the enemy to think we are lost or even dead. This prevents the enemy from catching up with what God is doing in and for us. That thing blocking us is not always placed there by the devil. God is a divine strategist who is on your side. No matter how crazy His instruction, trust that it is for your good.
“GOD HARDENED PHARAOH’S HEART”
What does God do next? He said He would harden Pharaoh’s heart and allow him to pursue the Israelites. Sometimes God will give your haters support. But… it is for your own good and for His own glory (to direct you into your promise). If your challenge involves opposition or oppression from others, it may be that you just need an enemy to chase you out of your comfort zone. Consider that if Pharaoh wasn’t chasing, the Red Sea might have opened, but the Israelites might not have ventured through. However, the pressure of the enemy coming against them drove them to take action even though that action was frightening.
“THAT THE EGYPTIANS MAY KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD”
In the midst of challenges, there is always opportunity for God to be glorified. Our job is to make our God known to ALL! “Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Philippians 2:10-11)
Don’t you know that we are citizens of Heaven? We are ambassadors of God’s Kingdom residing here on earth. We have an assignment to establish His Kingdom here as it is in Heaven. God will always position us to make known to the world that He is God! Will you go through what you are going through to make Him known?
HOLY SPIRIT’S RESPONSE TO MY BIG QUESTION
How do we really get through what we are going through in a Godly way?
• Surrender to the will of God: Failure to surrender only prolongs the process. (He is the potter, and we are the clay). In the end, God will still have His way. Whenever God gives us our own desire over His, we end up experiencing destruction. Whenever we accept the desire of God, we prosper.
• Let Love Lead: Love God and love His people. Love even when it is hard.Remember Judas? Jesus already knew what he was up to, yet Jesus allowed him to eat with them during the last Supper.
• Set Pride Aside: Forget the former things. Let the spirit of humility overtake you so that surrender to God is easy. Pride will keep you stuck where you are while where God is taking you is so much better.
• Choose to daily forgive: Take the approach Jesus took. In the midst of his battering and bruising, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) We daily receive forgiveness from our Father in Heaven so we too must also forgive daily. Remember, Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:12, saying, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.” Forgiveness frees you from the weight that can hold you back as you keep trying to move forward.
• Make disciples on your journey: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) As you keep going, just know that God is with you. He is faithful to do His part, so we must make His priority ours. Jesus was always concerned about doing His Father’s business. Even when the challenges on His journey intensified, He never got off course.
Be determined to fulfil what God requires of you. Live in purpose, walk in purpose, and see how in the end, He will raise you up just like He raised Jesus in triumphant victory.
In addition to all of these, Stay in prayer from the beginning to the end of the journey. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing,” and Ephesians 6:18 reminds us to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
Do not be intimidated by the challenges of 2025. Fall in line with the instructions from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! Jesus is the Way.
Orlease King is author of the book, ‘Making Your Way to God.’