Isaiah 41:14 Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
Metamorphosis (in an insect or amphibian) is the process of transformation from an immature form to an adult form in two or more distinct stages. A beetle goes through a complete metamorphosis of four different stages in a life cycle – egg, larval, pupal and adult. Beetles such as ladybug, longhorn beetle or leaf beetle look like tiny wiggly worms in the larval and when they pupate the larvae lays dormant and the exoskeleton starts to darken and harden, wings start to grow, legs and head emerge and dominant features develop. In two or three weeks the worm develops into a reproducing adult beetle. Similarly and metaphorically spiritual metamorphosis also develops, shapes and fashions our spiritual features and characteristics.
The Lord addresses the men of Israel as helpless ‘worms’ in the above verse. Before Jacob’s generation became the nation of Israel, the Lord transformed the worm Jacob into a beautiful beetle. Jacob was nicknamed as “the cheater” or “the deceiver” because of his bad track record. He deceived his father, cheated his brother and outsmarted his father-in-law. He had a tag that he was a ‘fraud’ throughout his life but the Lord pinned down Jacob and changed the cheat into a champion. The process of transformation of the immature Jacob took a few decades. He was moved out of his protected safety-zone, his home, into the house of his maternal uncle. There came a time when Jacob was exhausted with his own trickery and deceit which is when he had a divine encounter with the Lord. “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel” (Genesis 32:28b). God moved Jacob out of his cozy home and allowed him to go through challenges and crisis not to deform him but to reform him into a nation of His chosen people.
“The process of spiritual metamorphosis transforms us into a new person”.
We must go through spiritual metamorphosis in order to mature into our calling and purpose. This would mean we would have to step out of our stress-free comfort-zone, face challenges and overcome crisis.
Spiritual Metamorphosis transforms immaturity into spiritual maturity:
1. Comforts: The process of spiritual metamorphosis would require us to step out of our comfort-zone. It will mean a change of environment, culture or even career. God will use everything that happens to us both in the secular and social world to mature us spiritually. A betrayal by a trusted friend, redundancy or a derailing disappointment is to break and remake us.
2. Challenges: Unforeseen challenges lurking around the corner will fortify trust into our frail fumbling heart.
3. Crisis: Crisis in a do-or-die situation is life transforming when we allow the Lord to mature us through it.
Spiritual metamorphosis matures us into God’s chosen generation.
Proverbs 24:10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.
Prayer: Father God, in uncomfortable circumstances, challenges and crisis, help me to allow your hand to mold me into spiritual maturity. Amen.
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