by Benjamin Fech
A journey that should have taken 40 days ended up taking decades because God’s vision was not only to bring his people to a land of milk and honey but also to test their faith and change their hearts. We all know the story of the people of Israel and their journey to the Promised Land and as the number 40* plays an important role in the Bible. Let’s have a look at it. The number 40 is often associated with repentance, reflection, testing and new beginnings. The people of Israel spent 40 years in the desert because God wanted to free his people from the slave mentality before they could enter the NEW.
Here is where it gets interesting because I want to share with you on the topic “The birth of something NEW”. Let me compare the whole thing to a woman’s pregnancy. A woman is normally 40 weeks pregnant. Every week of pregnancy something exciting happens. For example, the heart starts beating in the 5th week and in the 10th week the heart is fully developed. In the 15th week, the bones and muscles grow and the child begins to perceive light. The taste buds are functional in the 21st week and the sense of balance develops in the 25th week. In the final phase, the baby only gains weight until it is ready for life outside the womb.²
I believe that it is no coincidence that a usual pregnancy lasts exactly 40 weeks because God had something in mind. This is a time of preparation but also a time when the heart and mind of the parents are tested. Are there fears and worries that I have when I think about childbirth and if so, what are they and what is their origin? As a married couple you have 40 weeks to deal with these and decide what feelings and ideas you want to take with you to the hospital when giving birth. Birth is not something that just happens, but something that happens THROUGH A woman.³
I had a similar experience when it came to the birth of something NEW. We started meeting every Tuesday night with leaders and friends from Voice in the City Ministries in our Frankfurt office to spend time in the presence of God and pray. We wanted to see a move of God among the young generation and knew before anything new could be birthed, we had to get pregnant with the vision of God for Frankfurt and the youth! This entire time took two years and during this time people tried to discourage us by telling us that such a work would not be possible and that the churches we offered help to would not accept our help. We persevered and prayed out the Word of God and faith grew in us that God was going to do something great. One day Rev. Gayle Claxton received the impression that it was now time and the new ministry “RELEVANT” was born. We started with monthly youth services and over the last five years we have seen God do something NEW among the young generation in Frankfurt. We reach them for JESUS and disciple them to be followers of JESUS and experience how God continues to work with unity among the churches.
What about you? If you have a vision or desire in your heart to build the Kingdom of God but through circumstances or disappointment you have stopped believing then I want to encourage you to enter into God’s preparation time today. This vision will not just happen but God wants to make it a reality THROUGH YOU. God wants to create something NEW in you and through you, the question is are you ready to go through the time of testing and change? Let me encourage you to go back to the Rhema Word God has spoken and begin to bring it before the Lord in prayer. Be encouraged to study your Rehma word and ask the Holy Spirit to give you deeper revelation. You will realize that you will become pregnant with this word and things will change in you. “God is more interested in changing your character than you serving in your giftings!” (quote by Dr Rev. Suzette Hattingh)
Just as birth has a due date, I also believe that the fulfillment of the vision will not be unnecessarily prolonged, but will be fulfilled at the appointed and specific time.
What do you think? Are you ready to make yourself available to God afresh and enter into the NEW thing God has prepared for you? Then get up, don’t let the past hold you back, shake the dust off your feet and go (Matthew 10:12), because the best is yet to come!
18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 41,18-19 (NIV)
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. Isaiah 60,1 (NIV)
References
New International Version (NIV)
* https://www.domradio.de/artikel/die-zahl-40-hat-im-christentum-eine-hohe-symbolkraft
² Chat GPT „Can you give me a list of each week of pregnancy in relation to the development of the child “
³ https://www.painfreebirth.de/online-kurs