When the Jews were exiled to Babylon, they must have thought that the end had come for their people. After being conquered and led away from Israel, things looked bleak, and they had to make a huge adjustment to a new way of life in a strange city and culture. As they lived through it, most couldn’t see light at the end of the tunnel, but through the lens of history, it’s clear that the Lord was using that critical period to induce the birth pangs of something new. While those “on the ground” experienced disorientation and discomfort, God was commencing the next chapter in the story of His people. Because of the Jewish exile, the Rabbinic Age was ultimately ushered in, and in that era, Jesus — the Savior of the world — was born. Since the Lord is unchanging, I believe this pattern of new life through pain continues today. When we’re forced to endure strange and stretching times, we can shift our paradigm and choose to believe that the uncertainty we’re facing is giving rise to something fresh. In fact, I’m positive that many of us have already experienced this phenomenon since 2020 began. While we’ve been stripped of what we thought was important, we’ve been given renewed clarity and fresh vision, both of which will guide us to a better future.  

My friend, don’t lose faith in God’s good plan. Remember that your Savior is always working and that there is no circumstance or turn of events that can cause Him to abandon His greater purpose. Though things might be heading downhill, the bottom of the valley is often the only place from which you can gain the momentum needed to go further and higher than ever before. While you can’t see it today, trust that the Lord’s will is prevailing and that He is birthing something new in the midst of every moment of chaos and confusion. In fact, He is using your life in this season to build His Church and to bring the values of His Kingdom from Heaven to earth.