It's Time to Turn the Key
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 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 43:18-19
Introduction
There are moments when God wants to lead us into a new season, but that change only happens when we take steps that align our hearts with His will.
In this passage, the Lord commands: "Forget the former things… See, I am doing a new thing." This shows that the moment of turning the key is not God's act alone — it also requires a human response. Do we want to experience something new? We need to make the decision to stop holding on to what is old.
Psalm 37:5 reminds us: "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this." In other words, God is the one who acts, but we need to position ourselves. Committing our way to the Lord and trusting Him is an attitude, a responsibility, a decision, and a choice we must make. Turning the key is not an automatic event — it is a spiritual process initiated by God and activated by our obedience.
To experience a key-turning moment is to go through that point where something shifts on the inside — and from there, everything begins to align differently on the outside. We often long for a turnaround in our lives and assume it depends on external circumstances. But it largely comes down to our own action: it is the fruit of a decision, of becoming aware of our need for change, and choosing to step into motion.
1. Leave the Past Behind
"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." — Philippians 3:13-14
To experience something new, old cycles must be closed. In Isaiah 43:18, God commands us not to cling to the past, because what has already happened cannot define what He still wants to do. Paul reinforces this principle by saying that he forgets what is behind and presses on toward what lies ahead.
Many people never experience a turning point because they remain bound to memories, wounds, guilt, or even yesterday's victories. But God only opens doors for those who decide to close the ones that no longer belong to His purpose. Change begins in the heart: first you leave the past behind, then God reveals the future.
2. Trust God's Process
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." — Proverbs 3:5-6
The turning point doesn't come because you understand everything, but because you trust God even when you understand nothing. Psalm 37:5 assures us that when we commit and trust, God acts. Proverbs 3:5-6 guides us not to rely on our own understanding, but to acknowledge the Lord in all our ways. Trust is the bridge between what God has promised and what He will bring to pass.
Many changes don't happen not because God is unable, but because we don't fully trust Him. Those who trust, obey. Those who trust, remain. Those who trust, don't turn back. On both occasions when Peter instantly obeyed the voice of Jesus, he witnessed true miracles — the miraculous catch of fish and walking on water. He committed, trusted, and obeyed, and became a witness to the miracle.
3. Move Forward in Obedience and Positioning
"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
No key-turning moment happens without action. God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous, because the promised land would not be taken with discouragement and fear, but with bold positioning. James reminds us that "faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17) — it is not enough to believe that God will change your story; you must walk in the direction of what He has said.
Peter is the greatest example of this. Before his turning point, he was an impulsive man who promised loyalty but denied Jesus three times, carrying guilt and shame. After Jesus' death, he went back to fishing — the very place Jesus had called him away from — as an escape. He loved Jesus, but didn't know how to deal with his own failure.
After the resurrection, Jesus asks him a simple yet profound question, three times: "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" (John 21:15-22). It wasn't to confront Peter's failure, but to restore his identity. That is where the turning point happened: Peter understood that his failure had not canceled the purpose God had for his life.
After that, the same man who denied Jesus out of fear began to preach with boldness. In Acts 2, a single message he delivered brought three thousand people to repentance. It wasn't the circumstances around Peter that changed — it was Peter himself who changed.
Conclusion
When our identity is healed, we walk in authority. Jesus has given us authority to overcome the enemy — but sometimes we lack the strength to do so because we are not firmly grounded in our identity in Christ. When we understand who we are — children of the Most High God — we stand in authority.
God desires to bring a turning-point moment to every area of your life, but that movement requires your response. God's new thing doesn't happen automatically; it is the fruit of spiritual decisions, of trust, and of obedience. When you leave the past behind, trust fully in the Lord, and press forward with courage, you make room for Him to do "new things" that human eyes cannot predict.
Turning the key is not just a change of circumstance — it is a change of posture. Let today be a landmark moment, a moment of decision and repositioning. The key is in God's hands, but the door opens when you decide to move.
Closing Prayer
Lord, give me the courage to let go of the old, the faith to wait for the new, and the strength to walk toward what You have already prepared for me. Let today be my moment to turn the key. In Jesus' name, amen.