“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
— Joshua 1:9
A new season is here. As summer gives way to fall, school begins, schedules shift, responsibilities grow, and families settle into new rhythms.
But before we prepare our calendars, perhaps we should prepare our hearts.
A few years ago, my family began paying closer attention to God’s times and seasons through the Hebrew calendar, which has deeply shaped our walk with Him. We learned that the months are traditionally connected to Israel’s tribes. Fall welcomes us into Elul, a time of introspection, repentance, and drawing near to God, also associated with Gad.
This posture feels powerful as we enter a new season. Look inward. Draw near. Examine your heart. Prepare.
Before We Move Forward, We Need to Look Within
We often enter a new season asking, “What do I need to do?”
But perhaps we should first ask, “What is God doing in me?”
Psalm 139:23–24 gives us a beautiful prayer for this kind of preparation:
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
A new season can expose emotions we didn’t realize we were carrying from the previous one.
Maybe there is disappointment.
Fear.
Grief.
Uncertainty.
Excitement mixed with anxiety.
Perhaps your children are entering a new stage in life, you are beginning a new ministry assignment, navigating marriage changes, or finding your footing after a demanding season. Whatever the transition looks like, God cares about how our hearts enter it.
Joshua understood this.
When God called Joshua to lead after Moses’ death, He did not just give instructions. He spoke to Joshua’s heart:
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged…”
Joshua was stepping into something new, and God knew he would need more than instructions. He needed courage. Sometimes, the preparation for a new season is not learning how to do more. It is allowing God to deal with what is happening within us.
A Strategy for the New Season: Pause, Perceive, Prepare, Proceed
As we enter this next season, I want to encourage you to practice four simple things:
Pause.
Before you rush into the next thing, make room for God. Be still enough to hear Him.
Perceive.
Pay attention to what God is highlighting through Scripture, prayer, circumstances, and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Prepare.
Once you discern what God is doing, align your heart and life with it. If He calls you to rest, release striving. If He calls you to build, prepare to build. If He asks you to release, lay it down.
Proceed.
Then move—not because the calendar says so, others are moving, or pressure tells you to keep up.
Move because you are aligned.
This is the posture I pray we cultivate as Christian women and mothers, not from religious duty, but from a desire to remain in relationship and alignment with Him.
We study His Word so we recognize His ways.
We pray so we recognize His voice.
We examine our hearts so we can respond without resistance.
And we pay attention to the seasons so we don’t miss what He is doing.
As fall approaches, don’t only ask, “What do I need to prepare?”
Ask:
“Lord, how do You want to prepare me?”
Prepare my heart.
Strengthen me.
Correct me.
Restore me.
Give me courage.
Teach me to recognize Your timing.
Help me enter this next season—not merely busy, productive, or religious, but aligned with You.
When our hearts are aligned with the God of the seasons, we can enter what is next with courage, knowing that wherever He leads, He is already there.
Dear Reader, what is God inviting you to examine, release, receive, or prepare for this season? Share what He is revealing in the comments so we can encourage one another.
I also want to remind you and invite you to download the Christian Mommas App, join us for the available meditations, and explore the collection of Devotional Studies in the YouVersion Bible App.
This is not a season for complacency. As we transition into fall, let’s be intentional about remaining anchored in God’s presence and filled with His Word. May we enter this new season with hearts that are attentive, our spirits strengthened, and our lives aligned with what God is saying and doing.
