WHEN GOD MOVES YOU: UNDERSTANDING SEASONS OF CHANGE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

As followers of Christ, we must come to terms with a profound truth: God does not intend for us to stay in the same spiritual stage forever. He is always at work, shaping us to become more like Christ (Romans 8:29), and that means He will take us through different seasons—some comforting, others stretching.

The Story of Elijah: A Shift in Provision

Let’s look at the prophet Elijah during the drought in Israel (1 Kings 17). When God shut the heavens so that it wouldn’t rain, He led Elijah to the Brook Kerith and commanded ravens to feed him.

1 Kings 17:4–6
“You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”
“The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.”

This was a miraculous season of divine provision—a symbol of God’s grace and care. But that season ended:

1 Kings 17:7
“Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.”

Elijah didn’t do anything wrong—the brook dried up as part of God’s greater plan. If Elijah had stayed there, waiting for the water to return, he would have missed what came next.

Instead, God gave him new instructions:

1 Kings 17:8–9
“Then the word of the Lord came to him: ‘Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.’”

The same God who fed him through ravens now fed him through a widow. The method changed, but the faithfulness of God remained.

1: God Trains Through Seasons

Sanctification—the process of becoming holy—is often done through stages. Just as students graduate from one class to the next, God trains His children through different “spiritual classrooms” (Philippians 1:6).

You may feel like God was closer when you were first saved. In the beginning, His grace may have felt almost tangible, like Elijah’s daily bread from ravens. But then comes a time when that ease fades. The “brook” dries up.

This does not mean God has abandoned you. It means He’s calling you to maturity.

Hebrews 5:14
“But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

2: God’s Silence Can Signal Movement, Not Abandonment

Sometimes when we no longer feel the same emotional highs or clear answers, we assume God has left. But just as a teacher is often silent during a test, God’s silence may be a sign that it’s time to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

3: God Calls You to Be a Giver, Not Just a Receiver

In earlier stages, God may feed you directly. But in maturity, He may call you to feed others. Like Elijah, you may move from being provided for to being part of someone else’s miracle.

Hebrews 6:1
“Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity…”

This might mean being relocated, facing new challenges, or having to create fresh spiritual routines. It may feel uncomfortable, but it’s not abandonment—it’s God equipping you for more.

How to Respond When the Brook Dries Up

Don’t panic. Recognize it as a shift, not a punishment.
Stay prayerful. Wait for the next instruction, just like Elijah did.
Be obedient. When God opens a new door, walk through it.
Don’t cling to the past. The grace for that season has served its purpose.
Trust His presence. The same God who was with you before is with you now.

Isaiah 43:19
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

Final Encouragement

If you’re in a season where things feel different—where spiritual nourishment doesn’t come as easily, or you’re in a new place of responsibility—don’t be discouraged. God is not taking away your blessings; He’s changing the form through which they come.

Elijah still received God’s provision, just in a new way. The same God who walked with you in the early days of your faith is walking with you now—just teaching you new lessons.