A GOD OF SEASONS

Lonnie Bond, Washington

 

 

Have you ever wondered why you seem to be stuck in the same place? Seem to be going through the same thing over and over again? Things just don’t seem to work out.

 

God is a God of seasons; He does things according to His time frame. Ecclesiastes 3

 

The Greek word for season is zeman: a set time, an appointed time, a time.

 

“Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” Genesis 18:14 (NKJV)

 

God is going to move us from season to season according to His set time, to help us grow and mature to become complete in Him. How we handle these seasons is up to us. We can seek God for His guidance and pray for His wisdom or we can let our minds try to reason through them. Which is a lost cause.

 

We some times let ourselves get stuck in a certain season by trying to manipulate God’s will for our lives to be what we want. Setting our minds on what makes sense to us, and how we want it to turn out. This simply will not work and you will find yourself struggling to make sense of your life.

 

In Exodus chapter 16 God tested Abraham’s faith, he passed with flying colors and God moved him out of that season to the next. Abraham’s faith in God was strong and he trusted God so much that he was going to sacrifice his only son Isaac!

 

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about. Genesis 22:1-2 (NIV)

 

After God brought Israel out of Egypt He tested them to see if they would follow His instructions and commands. Their season lasted forty years wandering around in the wilderness and dessert grumbling and complaining about what they lacked instead of trusting in God to provide for them. They’re grumbling and disobedience was their stumbling blocks, God could not move them out of that season and into what He had in store for them until they totally submitted and trusted in Him.

 

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain bread down from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.” Exodus 16:4 (NIV)

 

Peter was tested in his faith and trust in Jesus on the water in Matthew 14, he failed, but it was a stepping-stone to his maturity in Christ. He took his eyes off Jesus and look at the circumstances he was facing. Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” - “Lord, if It’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” -  “Come,” He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came towards Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?”

 

§                                                                   Do we grumble and complain about our circumstances?                                                     

§                                                                   Not trusting in the Lord and His word?

§                                                                   Do we take our eyes off Jesus and start to sink in trials and test - only to cry out help me Lord. Wouldn’t it be easier to stay focused on Jesus?

 

We will be tested; just as the people of Israel, Abraham, and Peter to see where we are at and to see if we have really learned from the season we are in. God knows our hearts and already knows what we will do, but by going through these seasons and tests as we pass them it helps build our faith, trust and confidence in Him.

 

The word of God has all the answers to these tests it just takes study time and guidance of the Holy Spirit to get the answers.

 

 When we learn to completely trust God and not pay attention to our circumstances or grumble about them. Then the true power of God will come alive in us. Jesus has already overcome the world. This trouble comes so that we will have to depend on Jesus to overcome it.

 

God can’t move us on to the next season until He has worked us through the present one. He can’t close a door until all that He wants to accomplish is done; until we totally submit to His will we can’t move on. The more we resist God’s will the longer we stay put and the more difficult it becomes.

 

When we stay under God’s umbrella of love, and are obedient, the easier and shorter the seasons become.

 

 Jeremiah 17:10 NKJV “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.”  

 

Lonnie Bond

 

 

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