Pioneers of Peace | October Blog – The Crowning Jewels

Peace Beyond Understanding
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4.7

When the future is unknown or situations feel unclear, it can be easy to give into fear and discouragement. However, God knows the end from the beginning and He has already been to the future. For many, God is calling you to step into a new season, in order to gain new territory for the Kingdom of God. It’s uncomfortable, unfamiliar, and unknown…but He is with you.

Now, more than ever, it’s time to lean into the Prince of Peace. Peace isn’t simply an emotion, but the Presence of Jesus. You can experience the emotion of fear, while still partnering with the God of peace. Come back to the Person of Peace, the Prince of Peace: Jesus. Many of you are pioneering something new with the Lord and now you deeply need His peace to go with you.

If you are in the middle of an unknown season or facing an unexpected setback, lean into the Person of Peace. Ask God to show Himself tangibly in peace. When you’re dealing with fear and anxiety…ask yourself, “where did I lose my peace?” Often, you’ll be able to recognize when you partnered with fear or doubt by identifying the thought that caused anxiety. E.g. “I’m going to be alone!” or “God won’t provide for me!” or “it’s just too overwhelming for me.” God wants to meet you in anxiety and show up with His peace. This doesn’t mean you won’t ever feel the emotion of anxiety, but that His peace transcends all of it. Anxiety doesn't get to write your story.

Gaining New Ground
Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.

…Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
Joshua 1.1-3, 6

God is raising up pioneers right now, who are gaining ground for the kingdom of God. Many of you are stepping into new seasons and gaining new territories. As you move forward, you’ve faced unexpected obstacles and challenges and have started to question whether you’ve made the right choice. However, sometimes hardships are part of obtaining your promise. Many of you are simply gaining new muscles, muscles that will enable you to maintain and carry the promise of God.

We have all heard stories of people who won the lottery and it ruined their lives. They didn’t have the financial skills to steward large quantities of wealth and squandered it, ending up in a worse position than they were before. Or we’ve heard stories of child actors who quickly tasted success and then struggled emotionally or with addictions. God is protecting you from such an outcome. Many of you have giant promises from God and powerful callings on your life, but if you gained the promise too quickly, it would be detrimental. For many of you, you’re not quite ready to carry the fullness of the promise. God is intentionally taking you through a training ground season where your character will be tested and refined in order to protect you. Just as soldiers go through intensive boot camp training, so God is taking you through such a season of equipping and growing.

Characters are forged in the fire. It’s easy to hold onto a promise when life is easy. But when you face obstacles or challenges, you may question if where you’re going is on track. Keep going. Don’t give up simply because it is difficult. Especially for those of you who are called to pioneer a movement or to build something from the ground up, discomfort is simply part of the process. Rather, ask God for keys to holding onto your promise amidst opposition. God is equipping you to carry your promise. Your promotion is coming, it’s simply on the other side of this season.

The Multi-Faceted Ways of God
“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps”
Proverbs 16:9

God works in many ways and it’s important to maintain a posture of intimacy with Him in order to know how He’s leading. Sometimes being in the center of God’s will looks like hardship and challenges and sometimes it looks like ease and promotion. It isn’t either/or, it’s both/and. Right now, it’s pivotal to stay in intimacy with the Lord. God is moving many into new seasons. The grace has lifted for where you are and it’s time to move on. For many, God is promoting you because you have faithfully stewarded where you’ve been.

The most important thing in this moment is your heart posture, in whichever season you find yourself. Joseph kept his heart pure before the Lord when he was in slavery, when he was in prison, and when he was promoted to the palace. His heart posture stayed pure before God, while his circumstances changed around him. When he was demoted, God was with him. And when he was promoted, God was with him. He was finally promoted because God promoted him.

Many of you are in Joseph moments. You have gone from hardship to hardship to hardship but promotion is at the door, you just haven't seen it yet. Stay pure before the Lord no matter which moment you’re in. You are getting promoted and the shift you step into will be palpable. When you step into the shift, you will experience favor, blessings, and breakthrough in ways you’ve only dreamed of before. If God is leading you into a promotion, steward it just as you stewarded the challenges before by maintaining intimacy and dependence on the Lord. God is specifically promoting those who have kept their hearts right before him in spite of challenges, obstacles, and opposition. God will bring you clarity on how to honor Him exactly where you are.

Faith Requires Action
"But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds".
James 2.18

Many times in the church, we hear people say, “I’m waiting on God,” when they’re trying to make a decision. Or they go, “why hasn’t God come through for me yet?” whenever they experience delay. However, if you look at their lives, they’re not taking any action towards the areas they’re dreaming of, praying about, or wanting breakthroughs in. These are often the same people who are always wanting and needing a miracle, but who are unwilling to take action towards their dreams or what God has spoken to them.

I know…because I have been this person.

We are not meant to live from "I need a miracle" moment to "I need a miracle," moment. Rather, we are intended to live in fullness and abundance of life. Should the miraculous be a part of our daily life? YES. However, the manna stopped when the Israelites entered the Promised Land because they then had to work the ground. Many have crossed into the Promised Land and are afraid because the manna supply has stopped, but it's a new season.

God gives us promises and then we get to steward the promise. Stewarding our promises requires faith. Faith requires action. Faith is anything but passive. I used to believe that living in faith meant waiting for God to do all the work! However, that’s not the case at all. When God gives a promise, we get to take action towards the promise. Our actions showcase our faith in God’s promise. The Israelites still had to defeat the giants when they entered the Promised Land. God’s promises bring us into provision, but His promises also require our partnership. If you’re afraid of taking action steps because you’re afraid of getting it wrong or making a mistake, know this: you have a green light until God gives you a red light.

Take bold action! And lean into the Lord, asking Him how you can steward your promises. When you’re unsure what to do, lean into His Presence, but also don’t be afraid to take steps towards your dreams. God is with you and He loves you.

At The Crowning Jewels, it's our desire and our mission to bring encouragement, to build others up, and to bring comfort to people’s lives (1 Corinthians 14.3). Each month, our founder, Anne Jackson, and our main writer, Katelyn Alexander ask the Lord what He’s doing in the coming month and for any words of encouragement He might have for His people. We believe that prophetic words need to be encouraging and edifying. Moreover, with a corporate prophetic word, not all words are applicable to all people. If our words bless you, please take hold of them and apply them in your own life. If it’s not specific to you, please pass it on to someone else who might be blessed.

As always, the prophetic is a free gift from heaven and will always be something we freely share. As a prophetic business, it’s our mission to bring encouragement and edification to people through the free gift of prophecy, with our product being jewelry.

We at The Crowning Jewels believe in the absolute, transformational power of declarations. We know that truth comes by hearing (Romans 10.17), and speaking truth is an active way for us to renew our minds (Romans 12.2). We invite you to partner with what God is doing and say these declarations for the remainder of the month. We would love to hear what God does! Please email us your testimony at hello@thecrowningjewels.com.

Declarations:

1. I have perfect peace in all circumstances.

2. I embrace challenges as catalysts for my promise.

3. I lean into the Holy Spirit in order to know my season.

4. I take bold steps of faith!

5. I follow God as He leads me into new things!

Each month we design limited edition pieces of jewelry, only available for that month, handmade with words and charms that reflect the monthly prophetic word. If this word resonates with you and you'd like to wear a reminder of its truths, click the pieces below to shop!