Because we are in a shift of times and seasons I'm doing some deep thinking about God ordained seasons. And God ordained season changes. From the beginning of time God set the order of the seasons in place and it has never changed.
"The seasons come, the seasons go, we get a little sunshine, rain and snow. Just the way that it was planned to be."
Isn't that a profound and true to life statement? It's the first verse in a song I loved as a very young lady. To me it's a good reminder that the wisdom of God can be found in unusual places. The phrase reminds me a lot of a similiar truth found in scripture in the book of ...
Ecclesiastes 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.
I think we're all a lot alike. There are some things I like better in one season than I like in another. We welcome the new season in and then after awhile we tire of the imperfections in the current season and we're ready to welcome in a new one. This is the natural God orchestrated rule of the seasons of the earth and weather patterns.
However, very often season changes are ushered in by life changes that we really don't desire or welcome. There are times in which we've enjoyed a time to laugh and suddenly we've encountered a new season which is not so laughable. In fact, there's a time for weeping upon us. It could be a serious change in our health, a relationship, a death, a child's trauma. But whatever, it's one we're powerless to change. We have to learn how to adjust to the new. For kingdom of Christ people are able to learn how to seek and trust God. he knows the way through and he will guide us.
The troubles and trials of life come upon all of us. And just as troubles come, there are sweet times of joy and wonderful cycles of life to celebrate. Times to mourn through and times to dance through. Times to hate the bad and times to love the good. We gain and then we lose. We keep and we cast away. And no human being can escape this natural order of life. The people of God will suffer most of the same things that the natural man does.
Yet, for those who open up their ears and hearts to the voice of the Lord and his body we can walk in light. When we listen for instruction we have choices we can make that the world knows nothing about. And even if we've slumbered and have missed some lines and precepts, He still waits for us. We can still arise, and fine tune our ears to his voice.
Isaiah 28:
9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: 11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
If we are not alert as we should be we might miss keeping up with his lines and precepts. But there is a season of mercy and grace.
Isaiah 30:18
And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
All of us at times will face season changes we're not pleased with. That's unchangeable fact. But we have a fountain of wisdom and mercy we can run to. We have a comforter and a counselor. His mercies are new every morning, and through our wise choices we can have his help to adjust to all that comes. He is our Almighty God and He has all power over the depth and duration of hard seasons. He will work with us as we co-operate with him. As we seek His counsel he will build wisdom and endurance and we can walk through our sufferings with grace. And soon the difficult times of trials will become stepping stones into a more abundant life. As we grow bolder in God we can even laugh our way through.
There's just no end to the wonders available to us in God! He is always near and waiting for us to respond to his love with our willing and submissive prayers.."Yes, Lord, show me your way through this and out of it"
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Seeking The Lost Sheep
Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." Luke 15:4-7
This blog is about a call and some personal experience in learning obedience. The scripture about leaving the crowd and following Jesus out to a place apart for the purpose of the salvation of one has been a large part of my ministry thus far. I was asked by the Lord to leave some good things to do some better things and I obeyed. He called me aside from the churches I was involved with and told me to work with him for my unsaved husbands welfare and salvation. It's a long story that few can understand or accept, religious people especially. Although it was very unusual I have no doubt that it was a true call. That mission took several years and it produced wonderful fruit. Then after my husband died I set out with the Lord on the next phase of my journey. I made some wonderful new friends and set out to learn how to surrender to God's will for the rest of my life. He has used me in the interim to do a few things on the web and in my family, but the heart search for the depths of him is my priority. That search is still ongoing, and I keep seeing that I am too easily distracted from it. The important thing is to always know his voice and to go where he calls us to go. There is a joy in the journey with him.
So I'm seeking and searching and that scripture from Luke is speaking to me again. I'm taking some time to draw closer and dig deeper into my relationship with the Lord and it's so rewarding..I've often heard about how we need to let God out of the box we've put him into..and I'm inviting him to look into my life and beliefs and do that very thing.
I want to be sure I hear all he is saying to me in this hour. We are in a season in time that is calling for us to be pure and flowing with him in his times and seasons. He said if we do not seek to be prepared for these times we will not make it through in true faith.
And I encourage you to ask him to make you a person after his own heart also and allow him to do whatever it takes to fulfill all of his good pleasure in your life.
Jude 1:20
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost
This blog is about a call and some personal experience in learning obedience. The scripture about leaving the crowd and following Jesus out to a place apart for the purpose of the salvation of one has been a large part of my ministry thus far. I was asked by the Lord to leave some good things to do some better things and I obeyed. He called me aside from the churches I was involved with and told me to work with him for my unsaved husbands welfare and salvation. It's a long story that few can understand or accept, religious people especially. Although it was very unusual I have no doubt that it was a true call. That mission took several years and it produced wonderful fruit. Then after my husband died I set out with the Lord on the next phase of my journey. I made some wonderful new friends and set out to learn how to surrender to God's will for the rest of my life. He has used me in the interim to do a few things on the web and in my family, but the heart search for the depths of him is my priority. That search is still ongoing, and I keep seeing that I am too easily distracted from it. The important thing is to always know his voice and to go where he calls us to go. There is a joy in the journey with him.
So I'm seeking and searching and that scripture from Luke is speaking to me again. I'm taking some time to draw closer and dig deeper into my relationship with the Lord and it's so rewarding..I've often heard about how we need to let God out of the box we've put him into..and I'm inviting him to look into my life and beliefs and do that very thing.
I want to be sure I hear all he is saying to me in this hour. We are in a season in time that is calling for us to be pure and flowing with him in his times and seasons. He said if we do not seek to be prepared for these times we will not make it through in true faith.
And I encourage you to ask him to make you a person after his own heart also and allow him to do whatever it takes to fulfill all of his good pleasure in your life.
Jude 1:20
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Paths And Promises
I'd love to share with you a few fresh hearthoughts about our quest for God. I am a seeker and I know there are quite a few others who have made that a very serious priority in their everyday life. I do know that hearts are stirred when likeminded people of God find another who seeks the heart of God. I'm talking about the ones who truly desire to know him as Father and God and are willing to pay the price. I have learned that there are those who do set out on a quest, but some get sidetracked into a quest of seeking what they can get from God. Right now, as I said that my thoughts went back to another day when a mighty man of God spoke a word that warned me and all who listened about "using God" rather than loving God and seeking to know him and serve him. That was a word I needed to hear, because at the time I was very young in the Lord and I was not yet established in gospel truth. I began to realize that my heart was not right. The word brought a heart change and the motive for my quest was purified a little. I began to have a more realistic God perspective.
I really believe that all men want and need peace and love, and that many do know it can be found in God. We all have needs. Mostly, we come to God with our hearts set on self. We have our lists of desires and causes and our assumptions of what godliness really involves. And while it's true that a small measure of the blessings of God can be realized by a surface search, I warn you that any promise of peace and the blessings of God without a full heart surrender is a promise of peace that can lead to destruction. The broad road, the false gospel of peace, peace, when there is no peace. We will have no strength to endure and stay in the race, hearts will grow weak and worldly pursuits will overcome us.
The truth is that the true road is narrow. A life in God which qualifies men for the wonderful blessings for obedience of Deuteronomy 28 must be built by God himself on the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no other way to eternal peace.
We as a body are in a season of sifting and shaking. God is inspecting foundations in professing believers. He is coming into his garden searching for sweet and good quality fruit. What will he find when he visits us? I hope he will find a fire for him and his truth in our hearts. He will work mighty wonders of refining and multiplying fruit when we have been careful to cultivate hearts which are sincere and humble. We've got to go back to the heart of worship It's all about Jesus, it's not about us.
I really believe that all men want and need peace and love, and that many do know it can be found in God. We all have needs. Mostly, we come to God with our hearts set on self. We have our lists of desires and causes and our assumptions of what godliness really involves. And while it's true that a small measure of the blessings of God can be realized by a surface search, I warn you that any promise of peace and the blessings of God without a full heart surrender is a promise of peace that can lead to destruction. The broad road, the false gospel of peace, peace, when there is no peace. We will have no strength to endure and stay in the race, hearts will grow weak and worldly pursuits will overcome us.
The truth is that the true road is narrow. A life in God which qualifies men for the wonderful blessings for obedience of Deuteronomy 28 must be built by God himself on the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no other way to eternal peace.
We as a body are in a season of sifting and shaking. God is inspecting foundations in professing believers. He is coming into his garden searching for sweet and good quality fruit. What will he find when he visits us? I hope he will find a fire for him and his truth in our hearts. He will work mighty wonders of refining and multiplying fruit when we have been careful to cultivate hearts which are sincere and humble. We've got to go back to the heart of worship It's all about Jesus, it's not about us.
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