Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Today's Devotional

Brought to you by Prayer Team Member Bobbi Heffel


                                                                                                                                Seasons

How many seasons can you name? Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall, Autumn, Monsoon, Drought, Feast, Famine, and yes, Christmas.

All scripture today is New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

 1 There is a time for everything,
   and a season for every activity under heaven:
 2 a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot,
 3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
   a time to tear down and a time to build, 



13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.  14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. Genesis 1:13-15

 

31 “Can you bind the beautiful[a] Pleiades?
   Can you loose the cords of Orion?
32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons[b]
   or lead out the Bear[c] with its cubs?
33 Do you know the laws of the heavens?
   Can you set up God’s[d] dominion over the earth?
Job 38:31-33

Footnotes:
  1. Job 38:31 Or the twinkling; or the chains of the
  2. Job 38:32 Or the morning star in its season
  3. Job 38:32 Or out Leo
  4. Job 38:33 Or his; or their
(Pleiades, Orion, the Bear - Ursa Major and/or Ursa Minor, and Leo are names of constellations)


 21 “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.  22 “Celebrate the Feast of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. ([a] That is, in the fall) Exodus 34:21-22


14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil. Deuteronomy 11:14

 

 3 “‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, 4 I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. 5 Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land. Leviticus 26:3-5


 12 The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. Deuteronomy 28:12


16 when darkened by thawing ice
   and swollen with melting snow,
17
but that cease to flow in the dry season,
   and in the heat vanish from their channels.
18
Caravans turn aside from their routes;
   they go up into the wasteland and perish. Job 6:16-18


2
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
   and on his law he meditates day and night.
3
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
   which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
   Whatever he does prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
   They are like chaff 
that the wind blows away. Psalm 1:2-4


18
The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
   the crags are a refuge for the coneys. ([a] That is, the hyrax or rock badger)

 19 The moon marks off the seasons,
   and the sun knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness, it becomes night,
   and all the beasts of the forest prowl. Psalm 104:18-20

 

A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing. Proverbs 20:4
 
6 I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right.
No one repents of his wickedness, saying, “What have I done?”
Each pursues his own course like a horse charging into battle.
7
Even the stork in the sky   knows her appointed seasons,
and the dove, the swift and the thrush   observe the time of their migration.
But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD.

 8 “‘How can you say, “We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD,”
when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? Jeremiah 8:6-8

 

 

20 and said:    “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.
21 He changes times and seasons;
 he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
22
He reveals deep and hidden things;    he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. Daniel 2:20-22


16 In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” 18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them. Acts 14:16-18

 

9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? 10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.  Galatians 4:9-11



Spring is a time of planting and renewing

Summer is a time of growth and toil

Fall is a time of harvest, gathering and preparation

Winter is a time of less light, cold, hardship, celebrations, and relying on what was prepare ahead of time

These aren’t just seasons of the year or weather but also seasons of growth. Regardless of what time of year it is, what season are you in? Age- are you in the summer or winter of your years? Mentally- are you soaking up the rays of knowledge or caught in a fog of depression?  Spiritually-are you planting, enduring a dry spell, gathering abundance, or passing through a time of hardship?  My Mother would call this a crazy question I am sure, but I think it bears asking. If you know what season you are in then you know better how to prepare. You wouldn’t plant seeds in winter or take a coat on a summer afternoon walk. What spiritual season are you in today?

Spring: is a time of planting and renewing – Are you enjoying the showers of grace, mercy and growth He is raining down on you during those spring showers? Are you busy preparing ground and planting seed?

Summer: is a time of growth and toil- It is hot and maybe a bit dry from the lack of rain? Are you working hard to pull stubborn weeds that choke out your spiritual growth?

Fall: is a time of harvest, gathering and preparation- Are you surrounded by His abundance? Are you storing away treasures of scripture and lessons learned that will sustain you during a long cold or dry spell?

Winter: is a time of hardship, less light, cold, celebrations, waiting, feasting on what was prepare ahead of time- The light isn’t as bright as in summer, things aren’t always easy and you need to apply every truth you have stored up over the years. Yet in this season even the smallest light burns bright and testifies to His greatness.

Just like in the seasons of weather, God is in control. He will bring about season changes in your life according to His plan and purpose. You can whine about it, feel lost in it or even fight against it but rest assured He knows what He is doing and desires the best for you. So maybe, if you know what season you are in you can be better prepared to allow Him to complete His work in you. 

Spring- Be prepared to share what God is doing in your life. May be carry a small Bible or tracts for seed planting opportunities.

Summer- Don’t overdo it in the heat. Take time out to seek refreshing in Him. If it is dusty and dry, pray for rain. Just like in nature, you can wish for it and ask for it, but you can’t make it rain. God will send the rain in His time. Just be sure to have your field ready to receive it! 

Fall- God’s abundance is ALWAYS around us. Store up treasures for yourself of what God is doing, showing you, delivering you from, leading you through, teaching you and providing. 

Winter- Hang on because spring is coming! Be sure to look for lights that pierce the darkness and be sure to CELEBRATE His goodness.

Just like seasons of the year, each spiritual season has its good points and not so good points. A little understanding and preparation helps us to endure the unpleasant a bit easier. And no matter the season, we can always find something to enjoy about it. Remember a season does not last forever, it is temporary. Just like a tree grows a ring in seasons, we need different spiritual seasons to learn and grow in Christ.

Prayer
Lord, help us to recognize what season we are currently in and help us to understand what you are working in our lives. Forgive us for our tendency to whine and complain when things don’t go the way we want or think they should. Help us to trust you and lean not unto our own understanding. Help us to surrender to the work you are doing in us. Draw us closer and give us a fresh vision of you that we may know you better and love you more! Thank you for the variety in life, for always being with us, and for working together all things for the good of those who love you (Romans 8:28).

Romans 8:27-29

27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
More Than Conquerors
 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,[a] who[b] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 
Footnotes:
  1. Romans 8:28 Some manuscripts And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God
  2. Romans 8:28 Or works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who 

Today's Song  Shout to the Lord

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