Seasons

 

"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." Psalm 1:3

It's that time of year again, the changing of the seasons. We live in the Midwest, so we get a little of every state's weather. This past summer was extremely hot and humid. At one point our grass was so dry I was concerned that it would never come back again. But after several days of rain recently, it has greened up and my husband actually had to mow- something that was only done about 3 times the entire summer. 

I love the changes in the seasons- and my favorite is fall. I think of fall as my taking assessment of my life time. Probably comes from those school days way back when- we always started the day after Labor Day and it was time of regrouping, meeting up with old friends and learning something new in my new grade. I guess I still have that in me. Though fall can be looked at as the interval between summer and winter and looking ahead to what's coming in the winter months. But, I still love it and get myself prepared for the next season coming up. I don't think I would like living where the seasons never change. 

In the natural, God has appointed the seasons (Psalm 104:19; Ecclesiastes 3:1). He also does that for us in the spirit-Psalm 1:3- we bring forth fruit in our season. This word "season" means "time, time of an event, occasion, experience". A plant does not flower or grow fruit all year long. It has a season. Where I live, the flowers and shrubs go dormant over the winter- but that doesn't mean they are dead. There is a lot going on under the surface which the human eye can not see. We are the same. We all have our seasons: seasons of change, sorrow, grief, prosperity, barrenness, etc. It is during those changes of seasons, that we must do what the Psalmist said- we must be like that tree that is planted by the water. When we go through seasons of barrenness or no fruit, or we think nothing is happening in our lives spiritually, that is just the time that something really is taking place. Just because we can not see it, doesn't mean that God is not at work. 

I like to go out into my yard in the winter and look at the shrubs. They may look dead, but something wonderful is happening beneath the surface. Sometimes, I have even talked to them- telling them to just hold on, spring was coming. They would soon blossom and bloom with their beautiful flowers. I tell them that I appreciated their former beauty and encourage them during their season of apparent barrenness. Crazy, I know- but isn't Holy Spirit like that to us? When we are in a season of stillness, barrenness, a season of cold harsh winter when everything seems like it has died- Holy Spirit speaks to us and tells us to hold on- all is not lost. We must take time to be still and listen for God's soft whispers of love and gratitude for our former season of glory and He encourages us now to dig deep, prepare for the next season of glory. God is doing something great beneath the surface- something that we can not see or feel. That is where faith comes in. 

Just like a plant, we don't bear fruit continually. There has to be a down time, a season where our roots grow deep into the soil (the Word) and look for water (The Holy Spirit). If you do a character study on the all the great men and women of the Bible, you will find that they all went through times of drought, winter, barrenness, etc. But they always came out on the other side stronger and bearing more fruit. Our power and our strength comes during those times- seasons- of stillness, no growth, no fruit. God appoints these seasons for us just like He has appointed the seasons in the earth. They serve a purpose. I firmly believe that our lives are not just a splattering of disconnected happenings and events. I believe they are all connected and will bring us into that perfect place of maturity- the end product of our faith. It is all connected because we are connected to the Source of life, the Source of Living Water and fresh manna every day, every season.

My friend, if you are in a season of drought, barrenness, sorrow, grief- look for God's hand in it. His hand is in every season of our lives, whether we see it or not. Look for miracles, both small and great. Look and be thankful for all the blessings that God gives you on a daily basis.Psalm 68:19- "Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!"

Many years ago, when my husband and I were going through great financial difficulties, I began keeping a "Blessings Notebook". I would write down everything that God blessed us with: $10.00 here, someone paid for our dinner, the Church would give us bags of groceries, someone gave me two new outfits from her closet, another person gave us a couch, other clothing, $4.00 dryer, $100 car, a new job for me--  and the list goes on. Even now, I am looking at that notebook and tears come because my heart is overwhelmed by how God kept us going during that difficult season. After almost a year of listing all His blessings- I wrote: "Lost track of all His blessings!" 

I believe the most important thing that we can do when we are going through difficult seasons, is to be thankful! Thank God for everything- big and small. As I look back at my "Blessings Book"- I see where the blessings increased. Keith got a new job, I got a new job and God led us up and out of that season. But I will tell you right now- I don't regret that season at all! It taught me to have faith that God would take us through. It taught me to lean heavy on God and His promises. It taught me that God will never fail or leave us. It taught me- that even today- no matter what comes our way- that God will take us through.

Seasons. We all have them. It is up to us what we do with them. As we going to let our leaves wither and dry up? Or are we going to dig deep into God's Word and His Spirit to find the strength- and joy- yes there is joy in every journey! Are we going to live with an attitude of gratitude for all that He does and is going to do? We just have to set our minds on the Lord and His promises and He will bring that deep lasting joy- that no one can take away.

"To everything there is a season, a time and purpose under heaven:..." Ecclesiastes 3:1

Seasons

~Donna