Seasons

Ecclesiastes 3King James Version (KJV)

 

3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

² A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
³ A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴ A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵ A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
⁷ A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸ A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
⁹ What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
¹⁰ I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
¹¹ He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
¹² I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.


Seasons of change happen in our lives when we are ready and most often when we are not.  We got through job changes, changes in our family, finances, and our friendships.  How do we handle those?  Do we get angry?  Insecure?  Lost?

The scriptures above tell us that we will go through many seasons in life.  In these changes we must trust God and hold tight to the knowledge that He knows what He is doing.  It's in these seasonal changes we grow in our faith and develop character.  Character is defined as the way someone thinks, feels, and behaves : someone's personality

You aren't the same person you were when you were born...experiences in your life have caused you to change and develop.  We change physically, spiritually and emotionally when the seasons change.

If you are in a season of change know that you aren't alone.  God said we would all go through these.  Trust Him!  Hold on tight and know He knows what is best.  Let go of the past and look forward.  I will finish with this scripture. 

Jeremiah 29:11King James Version (KJV)

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

 

Who's plan matters?

We often make plans for our lives.  It's easy to say I want to be here or doing this in so many months or years.  Often we put our faith in our plans forgetting that if we have any faith in God we should be seeking Him and trusting that He has the best plan.

Jeremiah 29:11 states "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

It is so easy to get caught up in chasing our own dreams.  Television programs, radio shows, music and books that are very popular tell us the world is ours and we can achieve anything if we just believe it.  We live in a world where slogans like "Have it your way." are ways of life for most of it.  People get so caught up in getting the newest phone, having the best house, taking our kids to the best schools that often we forget about God.  Selfishness runs rampant in our world.  A world that tells everyone to look out for yourself.  Don't worry about your neighbor.

When we stop and look at what God is telling us in Jeremiah ..He has plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. That sounds like a wonderful promise.  Do we really trust Him that He will do what He says He will?  Most of the time we don't!  We put God in the corner and tell Him we have this under control.  When struggles come we might run to Him but it's not our fault it's His for making the world this way...or is it?

Psalm 119:2 Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.
 11 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. (Job 36:11)

God tells us in Psalms and in Job that we will be blessed if we keep his statues and seek him, if we obey and serve Him we will spend our days in prosperity and our years in pleasures.  He is telling us that if we do what He wants us to do and seek Him we will have prosperity and pleasure.  Isn't that what we want?  Is that what we are looking for?  

So let's get this straight we have worked ourselves to death and have next to nothing to show for it.  The money always runs out at the end of the month.  We have sacrificed our time with our children, spouses, and stressed ourselves out but we don't need to live that way.

God has given us the promises we need to be relaxed, prosperous, and have pleasure in our lives.  All we have to do is obey and seek Him.  It sounds too easy to be true doesn't it.  I challenge you to try it.  God is just waiting for you trust Him.  Hand over to Him your relationships, finances, give Him everything and just see if He doesn't do what He said He would.