We live in an imperfect, broken down world. Life is not a bed of roses and we will go through seasons of good and bad times. When all is well, it is easy to thank and praise God. But when things go wrong, can we still believe that He is good? Or we may even entertain thoughts of blaming God that He allows bad things to happen to us.
God is not a schizophrenia. He is not good one day and bad the next. He is a good and unchanging God. The scriptures in Heb 13:8 assures us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.
You may be encountering a roadblock. Things are stuck and you wonder if you will ever get out of this fix. There seems to be no solution and no way out. You may feel that you are stuck in a season and nothing will change in your situation.
Our seasons in life is much liken to the four seasons of nature: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Seasons come and seasons go. Seasons change but never cease. Likewise our life seasons are constantly moving and they will not come to a standstill.
A farmer recognizes the seasons of when to sow seeds and when to reap a harvest. The waiting period for reaping a harvest is dependent on what type of seeds that you have sown. Therefore, don't grow weary in well doing, for in due season you will reap if you do not lose heart. (Gal 6:9) And don't compare with others who may be reaping their harvests before you. Each of us are in different seasons in our life and the seeds that we have sown are also different.
A seed is planted into the ground. It begins to grow slowly from a plant to a tree. This can only happen under the care of the sower, the nourishment of water, sunlight and nutrients from the soil. It then begins to bear fruits. Out of these fruits are more new seeds and the whole cycle of sowing seeds and harvest reaping continues on.
Our life can also be liken to the cycles of a seed. God planted us in seed form into our mother's womb. A baby begins to be "watered", nourished and grow in the amniotic fluid. Finally the baby births forth after 9 months of pregnancy, like a seed that breaks forth out of the ground into a small plant. The baby then grows from crawling to walking, from toddler to teen and eventually to adulthood; a grown tree.
How does a seed begin the process to get planted and eventually bear fruit? John 12:24 Jesus says that unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. To become fruitful believers, the first step we need to do is to be like a seed in His kingdom; to die to our own carnal thinking and ambitions. We need to be spiritually minded which will bring us life and peace. (Rom 8:5-6) We need to look daily into God's word so that we can replace every negative thought with a positive word of promise in the scriptures.
A farmer recognizes the seasons of when to sow seeds and when to reap a harvest. The waiting period for reaping a harvest is dependent on what type of seeds that you have sown. Therefore, don't grow weary in well doing, for in due season you will reap if you do not lose heart. (Gal 6:9) And don't compare with others who may be reaping their harvests before you. Each of us are in different seasons in our life and the seeds that we have sown are also different.
A seed is planted into the ground. It begins to grow slowly from a plant to a tree. This can only happen under the care of the sower, the nourishment of water, sunlight and nutrients from the soil. It then begins to bear fruits. Out of these fruits are more new seeds and the whole cycle of sowing seeds and harvest reaping continues on.
Our life can also be liken to the cycles of a seed. God planted us in seed form into our mother's womb. A baby begins to be "watered", nourished and grow in the amniotic fluid. Finally the baby births forth after 9 months of pregnancy, like a seed that breaks forth out of the ground into a small plant. The baby then grows from crawling to walking, from toddler to teen and eventually to adulthood; a grown tree.
How does a seed begin the process to get planted and eventually bear fruit? John 12:24 Jesus says that unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. To become fruitful believers, the first step we need to do is to be like a seed in His kingdom; to die to our own carnal thinking and ambitions. We need to be spiritually minded which will bring us life and peace. (Rom 8:5-6) We need to look daily into God's word so that we can replace every negative thought with a positive word of promise in the scriptures.
Winter will come to an end. You will not be in the valley of darkness forever, though the devil may deceive you into believing so. The sun sets and the sun rises each day. It may feel like you are in the darkest night and you feel that all hopes are lost. Don't give up! You could just be at the verge of breaking dawn! Tough times don't last forever, but tough people do.
Don't quit on God too. God is good and He is faithful. He will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deut 31:6) Delay is not denial from God. God has made everything beautiful in its timing. God will continue to nourish your tree and the time for you to bear fruits and reap your harvest will eventually come. When you look to God, you will recognize the season that you are in and lean upon God to make the most out of each season. God will make all things work together for the good of those who love Him. (Rom 8:28) Your biggest setback can become your greatest comeback. And God can turn your past disappointments into a new appointment.
Deut 31:6
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."
Lam 3:20-26 NKJV
My soul still remembers and sinks within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I am going through a tough season in my life now. I am discouraged and I feel like giving up. I understand that my winter season is not forever and it will come to an end. You will bring me out of winter, out of darkness and into a new season of growth once again. Help me to believe in You and put my trust in Your word. Cover me with Your love and grace and uphold me in Your righteous right hand. Grant me the wisdom to make the best out of my season and find new solutions to take me from breaking down to breaking through! I pray that You will turn my setbacks into my comeback and my disappointments into a new appointment. I thank You that You will make all things work together for my good and my situation will turn around for the better. I declare that I will walk in faith starting from today and begin to experience breakthrough and success in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
God bless,
Hazel Ashley
Deut 31:6
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."
Lam 3:20-26 NKJV
My soul still remembers and sinks within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I am going through a tough season in my life now. I am discouraged and I feel like giving up. I understand that my winter season is not forever and it will come to an end. You will bring me out of winter, out of darkness and into a new season of growth once again. Help me to believe in You and put my trust in Your word. Cover me with Your love and grace and uphold me in Your righteous right hand. Grant me the wisdom to make the best out of my season and find new solutions to take me from breaking down to breaking through! I pray that You will turn my setbacks into my comeback and my disappointments into a new appointment. I thank You that You will make all things work together for my good and my situation will turn around for the better. I declare that I will walk in faith starting from today and begin to experience breakthrough and success in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
God bless,
Hazel Ashley
This post first appeared on Devotionals: Walking In God's Love And Power, please read the originial post: here
