A New Environment Can Be Good

“Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.” (Jer 48:11 AV)

There is a custom among wine manufactures or collectors to turn their bottles every once in a while, because lees will collect in the bottom and stick to the glass.  Rather unsightly.  However, in the real old days, lees were filtered out.  This was done by allowing the wine to sit in a leathern container.  Over time, the lees would embed to the leather.  The wine was then poured to a new leathern bottle and the process would start all over again.  The picture here is simple.  In order to purify, the environment needed to change.  Moab refused to get out of their comfort zone so the LORD could purify them.  The same is true of the saint.  Change is necessary.  Change is good.  Radical change has a way of radically cleansing the believer.

Recently, the LORD asked my wife and I to make a radical change in our ministry and our life.  We were happy and content in a ministry which the LORD graciously granted to us for nine years.  We had settled in thinking we would be there for the rest of our lives.  Then the LORD began to speak to us about a change.  In the middle of our middle age, being grandparents and our health beginning a downward trajectory, a move didn’t seem like the best thing to consider.  But the LORD often has other plans.  Little did we know how much this change was going to stretch our faith and strength.  The church that I left behind, no doubt, is also going through change.  The LORD desires to change us all and one of those ways is to change the influences of our lives.  Different surroundings require different adjustments.  When the LORD moved us to the south, Lisa and I had to change the people we were.  God radically changed my personality and for that, I praise Him!

Now, there is a new chapter in our lives.  Time to leave the finer lees behind and continue the growth and purification process.  It is difficult.  But it is exciting at the same time!  I would encourage all who read this to consider change.  Turning your world upside down maybe the best thing you can do!  Allow the LORD to change your environment no matter how uncomfortable it may be at first.  You will be the better for it.