Trusting God Through Every Season of Change

Track 1 00:00:01

A small, white church building sits under the pines in

Track 1 00:00:04

East Texas. Years ago, the pastors stood up on a Sunday and

Track 1 00:00:08

shared a burden. There were children in their county no one

Track 1 00:00:11

would take. Kids sleeping in offices shuffled from home to

Track 1 00:00:15

home. Then came the question that changed everything. What if

Track 1 00:00:19

our little church said yes to the ones everyone else says are

Track 1 00:00:23

too hard? In the months that followed, 22 families at Bennett

Track 1 00:00:28

Chapel in Possum Trot, Texas, yeah, that's it, that's a real

Track 1 00:00:32

place, opened their doors and together adopted 77 children.

Track 1 00:00:40

Welcome to Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. I'm Bart Leger, and

Track 1 00:00:45

for the next few minutes, we're going to be encouraged by the

Track 1 00:00:48

truth that God walks with us through every season of life,

Track 1 00:00:52

especially the ones that stretch us or surprise us, and the ones

Track 1 00:00:57

that send us in a direction we did not expect. I'm talking

Track 1 00:01:01

about change. Not the easy kind, but the kind that leaves you

Track 1 00:01:05

asking, Lord, what do I do now? Whether you're stepping into a

Track 1 00:01:10

new job or a new role, or leaving something familiar, or

Track 1 00:01:15

maybe just trying to navigate a life transition you didn't see

Track 1 00:01:18

coming, God has something to say about it.

Track 1 00:01:30

Now that's not God saying, try harder. It's God saying, I'm

Track 1 00:01:39

already in the place you're headed. Change has a way of

Track 1 00:01:42

rattling us, doesn't it? Sometimes, it's a good change.

Track 1 00:01:46

New opportunities, a new marriage, or what we experienced

Track 1 00:01:51

quite a few years ago, grandkids. And speaking of grandkids, Our

Track 1 00:01:55

daughter and three of our grandkids drove in from out of

Track 1 00:01:58

state to spend Thanksgiving with us. Certainly changes our

Track 1 00:02:01

routine, but a good change. Other times, the changes in our

Track 1 00:02:06

lives feel like the rug gets pulled out from under us. The

Track 1 00:02:10

familiar routines in our lives shift. The things you leaned on

Track 1 00:02:14

don't feel stable anymore. But every season of change has the

Track 1 00:02:19

same invitation and promise. Don't go through it alone. Walk

Track 1 00:02:23

through it with God. Now let's get back to our story for a

Track 1 00:02:27

moment. The Martins, Bishop W. C. and First Lady Donna, had

Track 1 00:02:31

already adopted for themselves. Then, they watched their church

Track 1 00:02:35

become a web of moms and dads and aunties and uncles showing

Track 1 00:02:40

Christ-like love to traumatized kids. Decades later, many of

Track 1 00:02:44

those children are grown, still connected to the church family

Track 1 00:02:47

that raised them. Their story reached theaters in 2024 as

Track 1 00:02:52

Sound of Hope, the story of Possum Trot. The Martins chose

Track 1 00:02:56

to say yes and trust God in a new season of life that kept

Track 1 00:03:00

multiplying over time. When a tiny congregation stepped

Track 1 00:03:04

forward without perfect conditions, God met them and

Track 1 00:03:07

kept meeting through every season that followed. And that's

Track 1 00:03:11

what courage looks like. It's not the absence of fear, but

Track 1 00:03:16

rather, I believe it's stepping forward with faith, even when

Track 1 00:03:19

nothing feels certain, and even when we may still be a little

Track 1 00:03:23

scared, but knowing that God is there with us. And that's what

Track 1 00:03:27

Joshua had to do. Moses was gone. The whole nation was looking at

Track 1 00:03:31

him. And the land ahead was unfamiliar. Even so, God didn't

Track 1 00:03:36

give Joshua a map. He gave him a promise. I will be with you

Track 1 00:03:41

wherever you go. And that's the same promise God gives you. So,

Track 1 00:03:45

let me ask, what season of change are you standing in right

Track 1 00:03:49

now? It could be a new job or a change in family dynamics. Maybe

Track 1 00:03:55

it's a move. Or you've experienced a loss in your life.

Track 1 00:04:00

Or maybe a calling that scares you. Whatever it is, you don't

Track 1 00:04:05

have to figure it out on your own. Change becomes less

Track 1 00:04:08

overwhelming when you remember that God already knows what's

Track 1 00:04:11

ahead and He's walking there with you. And seasons of change,

Track 1 00:04:17

even hard ones, can become seasons of transformation when

Track 1 00:04:20

we trust Him step by step. Here's today's challenge. Name

Track 1 00:04:25

one change you're facing right now. It could be big or it could

Track 1 00:04:30

be small. And what I want you to do is bring it honestly to God.

Track 1 00:04:34

Then pray this, Lord, I don't have all the answers, but I know

Track 1 00:04:39

you're with me in this. Help me take the next step with courage.

Track 1 00:04:43

No, you don't need the whole plan. You just need to take that

Track 1 00:04:47

next step. And God will meet you in it. Lord, thank you that no

Track 1 00:04:53

season catches you off guard. You're with us in every

Track 1 00:04:56

transition, every unknown, and every new beginning. Give us

Track 1 00:05:00

courage where we feel afraid and faith where we feel uncertain.

Track 1 00:05:05

Help us trust that you go before us and you walk beside us. In

Track 1 00:05:09

Jesus' name, Amen. Thanks for joining me today on Daily

Track 1 00:05:13

Devotions for Busy Lives. Remember, because God is with

Track 1 00:05:17

you, you can face every season of change with courage and faith.

Track 1 00:05:22

Come back next time for more encouragement to help you live

Track 1 00:05:25

grounded in God's truth. Until then, God bless and have a great

Track 1 00:05:29

day.