Transcription
Please open with me to First Kings chapter 17. First Kings chapter 17, from verse 1 to 14.
First Kings chapter 17, from verse 1 to 14. Seasons of change. Now, we must recognize that there will always be major changes in the way things are achieved compared to the successful approaches of the past. And when seasons of change actually play out, there are certain ways that people wrongly react and respond in the seasons of change. Some of the wrong things people do in the season of change: one, some people would waste precious time analyzing the steps they could have taken, which they did not take. Secondly, some will keep hoping for a return of the old order of things. So, we keep hoping for a return of the old order of things. Some people, while still using an outdated method or approach, will even choose to work much harder or for longer hours, hoping to get the same old results or attract the previous level of patronage. And the third way people react wrongly in times of seasons of change is that out of shock, fear, or disappointment with the new turn of events, some people will end up taking very unreasonable, irrational, or unwise decisions.
There are 10 major lessons we want to emphasize on how to benefit from seasons of change. One, change is inevitable. Change is inevitable. In Ecclesiastes chapter 3, verse 1, Amplified Bible, it says, "There is a season, a time appointed for everything, and a time for every delight, an event, or purpose under heaven." The Contemporary English Version says, "Everything on earth has its own time and its own season." So, no matter how good certain products are today, no matter how good certain brands are today, certain techniques, in the process of time, they would amaze a better and far better way of getting that same thing done, leading to a new product or an improved product or model of the previous one that was also very good at the time in the past. In Ecclesiastes chapter 3, verse 6, Easy to Read fashion, it says, "There is a time to look for something and a time to consider it lost. There is a time to keep things and a time to throw things away." There's a time to throw things away. In the seasons of change, we have to discard certain patterns, certain channels, certain techniques that we were using before and were producing the best of results in the past.
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There are many reasons why change is inevitable. One of such reasons is that there is always a consistent desire for a solution, a product, or service that is far, that is better than the existing one. So, there is always a consistent desire by people for a better solution, a better product, a better kind of service for the same thing that they need. And there are at least seven things that drive innovation. Most of the time, those who have already arrived and are leaders in the market may not be as desperate as someone who is desperate to break into that market and attract some of the clients in the market to himself or to his business platform. And to achieve that, there are certain things that they know will give them an instant edge over the existing brands if they succeed in achieving that in terms of their own product. And so, what are those seven things? One, there's always the search for extremely effective and extremely effective solution, extremely effective solution for a particular need or purpose.
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People want something better than other existing products or or methods, and once they find one, they switch. Secondly, people are constantly looking for something more timely, quicker, and faster. Something that has a quicker effect, instant effect, quicker availability, speedy delivery. If there's any generation that so much appreciates same-day delivery, it is this generation. So, courier services, online services, dispatch services are now in greater demand more than ever before. And those who are wise begin to look at how they can factor this in to whatever they are offering the public, because it's certainly going to give you an edge. And if you fail to offer this to your clients, someone doing the same thing that you do is going to do exactly what you are talking about. So, people are looking for something that comes with a shorter, that is achieved in a shorter duration of time. That is why crash programs, crash programs will always find a ready market because most people will prefer something that can be done within a much shorter time without compromising the desired quality or skill transfer.
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Ready-made products. And then the third factor that drives innovation is that people are consistently looking for something that is more user-friendly.
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Something that is more user-friendly, a product that is less stressful, takes less physical effort, more comfortable, more convenient, easier to use, less weighty. People always want something that is less weighty, more portable, something that takes less space and still achieves a purpose.
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Something that has a good smell compared to what is available, something that is universally applicable. And then the fourth factor that drives innovation is health and wellness benefit, health and awareness benefit. People are always looking for a product, a kind of service, a solution that is safer, that has lower health risk, lower safety risk, something that a product that is more protective, more hygienic, little or no side effects. It will certainly sell better than similar brands in that market. And number five is that people are consistently looking for very good financial value, very good financial value. So, they are ready to switch when they find a platform from where a product or brand from where they can get make higher profit, higher returns on investment.
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Why put my money there and get two percent and get five percent and get ten percent when I can conveniently and safely get a minimum of twenty percent within the same period of time, within the same period of investment?
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And number six, close to five, people are consistently looking for something, the solution that that can be secured at a lower cost, something that is cheaper and cost-effective. And anytime they find something cheaper and more cost-effective that is of the same quality
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of what they were using before, they would switch. They would certainly switch. Something that a product that is maintenance-free, maintenance-free, because in the long run, at the beginning, it may be more expensive, but on the long run, this is going to be more cost-effective. So, people are consistently researching
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on how they can offer to the public maintenance-free products.
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A product, a solution that is cheaper to use, cheaper to maintain, convenient payment plan. And the last, the seventh one, premium quality. People are always looking out for a product that is comparable to the best in the world, especially when it's affordable to them. So, you must be ready to let go when the time for change eventually comes, because change is inevitable. The seasons of change are often unannounced. We must be psychologically prepared for major changes in different areas of life and take the appropriate steps towards such changes when they eventually occur.
What's the second lesson? Lesson number two: The promises of God are constant. The promises of God are constant, but the approach and instrument, the approach and instruments He uses to fulfill them can change. Afterwards, so always seek for fresh direction. We're always sensitive to fresh divine direction.
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And whatever God is saying now overrides what He said in the past. Check what God told Elijah earlier in First Kings chapter 17, verse 2 to 3. He gave him some instructions there. The Lord said to Elijah, "Leave this place and go east. Hide near Cherith Ravine, east of the Jordan River. You can get your water from that stream, and I have commanded ravens to bring food to you there." So, Elijah did what the Lord told him to do. He went to live near Cherith Ravine, east of the Jordan River. Ravens brought Elijah food every morning and every evening, and he drank water from the stream. Look at verse seven. There was no rain, so after a while, the stream became dry. After the stream became dry, hear what God said in verse eight and nine.
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Then the Lord said to Elijah, "Go to Zarephath in Sidon and stay there. There is a widow there that I commanded to take care of you."
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The same God that directed him to Brook Cherith is the same God now that is redirecting him to Zarephath.
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There are always new opportunities out there, whether you recognize them at the time it begins to manifest or not. Have you discovered them? Could be no. Do they exist? Yes, they exist, even though you have not discovered them, even though you have not even heard about them. So, number three: Don't hold on to the past. Don't hold on to the past. Don't hold on to the past channel through which something has always happened in the past. The same God that told you, "This is the channel I will use to make this thing happen," is the same God that would make that same thing happen for you afterwards using another channel. It's the same God that provided water for Elijah from the stream at Cherith. It's that same God that afterwards provided water for him at Zarephath from the widow there. The past patterns through which something has always happened in the past, don't hold on to them. If you hold on to them when the season of change is already playing out, you'll be left behind.
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It's gradual. Most of the time, when people are being left behind, don't hold on to the past. If you are not already married, this is even more weighty. It's more waiting. Don't hold on to a failed courtship. Don't hold on to a failed courtship. Most of the time, a failed courtship is a blessing in disguise for at least one of the two people involved. It's a blessing in disguise. Don't hold on to a failed about a particular brand of a product or service provider that was previously the best. Don't hold on to them in the season of change. And this becomes mandatory when it's obvious that they are sensitive to feedbacks, feedbacks from loyal clients, feedbacks from very loyal clients. And when that persists for so long, then those clients will eventually be compelled to shift their preference somewhere else. May God always make you the favored brand, the most preferred brand, in the name of Jesus. Don't hold on to the past. In Isaiah chapter 43, verse 18, Isaiah chapter 43, verse 18, in the King James Version, He says, "Remember you not the former things, neither consider the things of old." The things of old, the things of old, tradition, man, traditional woman, the things of old. When the things that once worked very well in the past gradually lose their efficacy, some people fail to accept the new reality, and they keep trying to make it work as it used to in the past. Do you know that if some people were in the position of Elijah, the moment the brook of Cherith dried up, the water, the stream dried up, they would have been praying a prayer request like, "Oh Lord, let the waters of Brook Cherith flow again. Let the waters flow again. Let the waters flow again. Let the stream flow again." This would have been the prayer point of so many people. Sometimes it's right, but at a time, it will be out of place because it would imply that such a man or woman is no longer sensitive to what God is saying now. But because Elijah was consistently sensitive to whatever God is saying now, he heeded clearly when the Lord gave an instruction in a new direction. Be quick to accept new realities. Be quick to accept new realities. Be receptive to change. Be receptive to new innovations. Don't be too rigid and resistant to change and new ideas. Be flexible. Be open to new ideas. New ideas can sometimes flow from younger people.
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New ideas can sometimes flow from those who are new in the system and are not too used to the old traditional pattern of doing things in that environment. Change is happening everywhere, and you will do better when you accept that it will happen someday. Prepare for it. Recognize it on time. Adjust to it quickly. I know because of people's indifference to alternatives, most people, I sense, are indifferent to alternatives, especially when the current option is giving good results. So, what normally happens is that some new doors of opportunity may never be discovered
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unless the existing doors are first of all closed. It's quite instructive that the stream at Brook Cherith had to dry up first before we read in the scriptures that God spoke to Elijah to go to Zarephath. Most times, God could have been speaking even while the stream was still flowing,
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but we may not even be sensitive already to listen to any instruction as long as the current solution is working. You must be current. You must be up to date in whatever you are doing. You must be current and up to date. Always do all you can to remain the best in your field. Do all you can to make your product the best in the market. Have a passion for continuous improvement. Very important. And you know, excellence is attained and sustained by continuous evaluation, benchmarking, and continuous improvement. That's how excellence is sustained. Travel to Dubai this year. Give 12 months. By the time you are back in 12 months' time, you are not going to see exactly what you saw 12 months back. Consistent search for improvement. Something new. Something better.
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And they are absolutely sensitive to the preferences of the market, the preferences of the people, and they are walking towards meeting what people prefer and what people are still asking for. Never dwell on past glory. Never dwell on past glory. Be grateful for the things that have happened in the past. Be grateful for what has been achieved, but never dwell on past glory. And that will lead us to the issue of our outdated and obsolete products, solutions, and techniques. When you say something is outdated, it means it's no longer considered useful or effective because something more modern now exists. We talk of outdated teaching methods, which is what is still playing out in this part of the globe compared to what is playing out in some other parts of the globe. And when you say a product is obsolete, it means not in use anymore, having been replaced by something newer and better or more fashionable. Something that is obsolete is no longer needed because something better has been invented. Are we consistently monitoring new inventions, innovations in the field that we operate? Once upon a time, once upon a time,
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the best of yesterday have today become outdated, old-fashioned, and obsolete. And with time, the best of today is also going to become old-fashioned. Once upon a time, we start selling products, setting service, product providers consistently shining at the top, but today, some of them are no longer seen in the market or among the top 10 brands in that field. So, things happen consistently, and what was being used before becomes that becomes, you know, outdated or obsolete. For instance, a computer has replaced the typewriter.
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In the process of time, CDs replaced cassettes. Lesson number four: Divine restoration does not always involve a revival or return of the old. Divine restoration does not always involve a revival or return of the old. For instance, after the trials of Job, when it was time for God to restore all he lost, in Job chapter 42, God gave Job new talk of cattle. God gave Job new children. So, when divine restoration is finally played out, it does not always involve a revival of the old. It does not always involve a return of the old. So, stop expecting that whole thing, that old thing to be revived or restored. Expect something new. Can someone say amen? Stop expecting the particular person that left you to return. Sometimes this applies that a particular person that left you will return, but there are times when God, in restoring, would bring in a new person. He will bring in a new person.
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God can sometimes give you a replacement or a brand new one when it comes to your own season of divine restoration. Lesson number five: God can always create a new solution.
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In Isaiah chapter 43, verse 19, Isaiah 43:19, King James Version, He says, "Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert." I will do a new thing. God can always create a brand new solution. So, always confidently believe that when one door closes, with God, can somebody say, "With God"? With God helping you, another door shall open. Another door shall open. Another door shall open. In First Kings chapter 17, verse 8-9, First Kings chapter 17, verse 8-9, Easy to Read version, He said, "Then the Lord said to Elijah, 'Go to Zarephath. This time, no longer Cherith. Go to Zarephath in Sidon and stay there. There is a widow there that I commanded to take care of you.'" So, take note that God did not restore the flow of water in Brook Cherith. Instead, He provided a new channel of provision. I declare to someone listening to me right now that the year 2021 marks
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the manifestation of God's provision of a new channel of divine provision. Receive it from today. Enter into that new order in the name of Jesus. And this new one shall be better than the former one in the name of Jesus.
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You.