Seasons

March 16, 2022

To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

We are just four days away from the first day of spring. Even though spring has not officially begun, there have been visible signs that it's on its way. The first warm, sunny day in February sends a knowing wink to us of what is on its way. Purple crocuses and yellow daffodils can be seen in flower pots and lawns. Some trees have colorful blooms that seemed to have appeared overnight, and some chartreuse leaves have already appeared on the earliest blooming trees. These hints of a new season are generally welcomed by most. Longer and warmer days, colorful blooms, and an awakening of dormant things signifies new life and the end of what might be to some, a cold, dark season.

In anticipation of warmer days, many may have been put off by our temperatures and surprise snow just four days ago. Many of us probably would have preferred a much warmer and sunnier day. Perhaps we complained about the weather, especially if our weekend plans had to be altered.

Blessed be the name of God, forever and ever! For wisdom and might are His! He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding! He reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him! Daniel 2:20-22

In something as seemingly harmless as complaining about the weather we can so easily forget that it is our Creator who changes the times and seasons and that there is purpose in everything that He does. Looking ahead to the next season is not bad. It is natural to anticipate coming changes. However, God simply showed me through some snowflakes four days ago that He is not finished yet in this current season. The leafed out Bradford Pear trees seemed a contrast to the falling snow; yet there they both were just like the new and the old can sometimes co-exist in our lives. We must trust His timing in everything and not be discouraged when something we thought we were done with from the last season surprisingly shows up. Perhaps we were done with "it", but He wasn't.

Daniel was in a precarious position facing death unless he was able to correctly interpret a king's dream. He had to interpret the dream without even knowing what the king had dreamed! In his own dream, Daniel received revelation and was able to correctly interpret the king's dream. Daniel knew this wisdom had come from the Lord God. He was reminded of God's sovereignty over time, seasons, and earthly government, He knew it was the Lord God that had revealed another man's dream to him and had shown him what the dream meant. Our Lord knows what is in the darkness; our darkest thoughts and fears are not hidden from Him.

Your Creator alone completely understands your current season. He knows the changes coming. He also knows what leftovers remain from past seasons. He is able to move you between seasons as necessary. He is trustworthy and He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11.

What If?

February 18, 2021

What's shakin'? Most everything around you? There is a whole lot of shakin' going on around us, huh? We may smile at the lyrics and visual going through our mind now; something about a chicken and a barn, and can you see the piano? (some of you will have no idea to what I am referring) Those lyrics and catchy tune may bring a smile, but the things that have been shaking around us the past year have likely brought more tears than smiles. What have you been doing in the midst of the shaking?

When we look around us we can see all kinds of reactions to the shaking. We can see and hear the fear, the judgement, the hatred, and the division. We can also see and hear the kindness and expressions of compassion and genuine concern at times. Confusion seems to be running rampant. What or who is one to believe amidst all the conflicting reports and information? Have you found yourself leaning hard one way one day and then leaning the opposite way another day? How does one step firmly when everything is shaking?

Who or what to believe? What if we simply believed Him and lived like it? Maybe you are thinking, I do. Oh, I do. James 2:19 tells us You believe that there is one God. That’s fine! The demons also believe that, and they tremble with fear.

In Isaiah 54:17 we are assured, No weapon that has been made to be used against you will succeed. You will have an answer for anyone who accuses you. This is the inheritance of the Lord’s servants. Their victory comes from me,” declares the Lord. If we believed this and LIVED like it, how might our current lives look different? Would our minds be a little freer and clearer without the vengeful responses we have created (maybe in thought only; not deed) for those who have gossiped or told untruths about us or ours? Would we feel a little lighter trusting that the Lord has a prepared victory instead of scheming our own?

The psalms reassure us, yet how much self induced anxiety have we muddled through in our lifetimes? Psalm 32: 8 I hear the Lord saying, “I will stay close to you, instructing and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide. So don’t make it difficult; don’t be stubborn when I take you where you’ve not been before. Don’t make me tug you and pull you along. Just come with me!” He tells us again in Psalm 37:23 The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him. What if we lived with the assurance that the Lord is guiding, advising, ordering, and even giving us HIS all seeing eyes as our guide? What could that look like practically in our lives? How much time could be redeemed and how much second guessing and doubt could be replaced with joy knowing He is making our steps firm? Double mindedness could be laid to rest and confidence could replace confusion and even fear. This could be life changing for many of us.

Psalm 138:8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me. Read that again. He doesn't promise to make "it" tolerable. That difficult coworker? He will perfect it. That broken relationship? He will perfect it. That depleted bank account? He will perfect it. That deep, long ago hurt that still frames your thoughts? He will perfect it. If it concerns you, He is in the process of perfecting it. What if we lived as though we truly believed that El-Elyon is even now putting the finishing touches on those things nearest and dearest to out hearts? Could we even imagine the peace? How could our waking thoughts be transformed each and every day if we truly believed that no matter what we confronted on any given day was being perfected by Him?

Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? What if we lived this? What if we lived our lives in such a way that this truth was reflected in our thoughts, our words, our attitudes, our actions? How would our thought lives transform if we didn't feel the need to "justify" ourselves? How much energy do we expend thinking of words and conversations to "set others straight?" How many times do we replay over and over in our thoughts the interactions we have with others? What if we believed that every fiery dart sent our way was barely even an ember and couldn't hold a candle to our God? That pink slip? God is for me. That closed door? God is for me. That devastating prognosis? God is for me. That smirking, sideways glance? God is for me. That intentional, cruel word? God is for me.

What if we took Him at His Word?

Great Expectations

February 6, 2021

Don't you just love waiting? Yeah, me neither! We ought to all be experts at it by now. How much of our life is spent waiting? We get to practice waiting throughout each and every day. Perhaps you are even reading this while you are waiting for something else. We do that, don't we; try to "fill in" the waiting time with another task so that it doesn't feel so much like waiting. Perhaps we feel more productive when we do that. Are you just waiting or are you expectant? One sounds a bit more encouraging, doesn't it? When we are expectant there seems to be more assurance of the thing for which we are waiting actually happening. Whoa, that is beginning to sound more like faith than waiting. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things being hoped-for, the conviction of things not being seen.

How can we transform our waiting to expectation and faith? Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]. David's heart is key. Psalm 39:7 And now, Lord, what do I wait for and expect? My hope and expectation are in You. God is encouraging us to expect Him. Look to HIM and expect HIM. Not expect work, or your boss, or your child, or your spouse, or your bank account, or whatever else...HIM alone. I believe that when we are looking to HIM and not those things, that is when our Lord will do amazing things around us. Sometimes, it is just the slightest change in perspective.

We can look for a change in those things as evidence of God's work and find ourselves more focused on the things than God.

The slightest shift on our part can cause great impact. Let's challenge ourselves to answer the question: On what are we most focused, the Lord or the things we want Him to change for us?

John 8:11 She answered, No one, Lord! And Jesus said, I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more.

We can likely recognize the content of this passage from this one scripture-the woman caught in adultery. I know we cannot know this, but do you think this woman was also waiting for something? Of course, in this passage, she was likely waiting for the stones to start flying toward her. I mean, however, before this day. Was she waiting to be "found out?" Maybe she was waiting for her "friend" to leave his wife. Maybe she was waiting for a change in her own circumstances. I find it hard to believe that she would have been content with the situation as it was. I do doubt, though, that she was waiting for the Lord to send away her persecutors, for Him to forgive her, and for Him to give her the freedom and opportunity to move forward in a new life. In what seemed extremely embarrassing, humiliating, and even fatal circumstances, He gave her that for which she had been waiting...a do over, a second chance, a new life. His simple instructions for her followed His incredible gift of compassion and mercy.

We have been given the same freedom. The Lord is encouraging us all today-He will silence our accusers, forgive us, and also show us the way. I know many of us are waiting for "something." May we not wait for what has already been done for us. May we "go on our way and from now on sin no more" and in His compassion and those simple instructions find that for which we have been waiting. GO seems simple enough but may be difficult to do. Trust that He has already prepared your way; just go and place your greatest expectations in Him alone.