Walking Through The Seasons of Life

THe Elastisity Of LIFE (Romans 5, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:6-11) "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace." (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) When it comes to live in general and a life in Christ, as we mix human existance with heavenly love, we can see where God uses these shifting sands to shape our character and gets our feet on solid ground. These sifts come through out your Christian walk, at the time you may be experiencing the joy of being newly born again and loving your new found faith or on the other hand you may be an older Christian like me, and experiencing a quiet perseverance of a dry spell Im not at the moment, but I have had these dry spells over the years. I can tell you these and ever season is designed to deepen your faith and to help put your feet on that solid rock, who is Jesus Christ. As we Navigate these seasons we need to take inventory of where we are at. And in so doing be able to leaning into the lessons God has for you to learn as He walks through them with you. 1. SPRING - It does not matter how old you are in Christ, you can have all of these season at anytime through out your life. For instance, we all know spring is a time of planting and of New Beginnings, I would have to go back over my Cristian walk, to determine how many new beginnings I've had over the years, but they are always exciting times. The "first love" phase, of beginning something new, when you have a fresh passion, a deeper hunger for scripture, and new energy to share your faith. Where you once again grasp the fact that God sowing the new seeds of grace in your life and into the lives of others is where its at. Friends, in these times, make it an effort to establish deeper roots in Christ and through the community of believers, dig into the word and be taight by the spirit of God, while spending time in daily prayer. 2. Summer: I don't know about you, but June as we are reaching summer, it seems like every green thing out there is growing and it is greener than green. It is the season of growth. It is a time to prepare and produce fruit. A time when your faith is looking for opportunities to expand and you have a desire to share the goodness of the Lord. Summer are those times of ministry, service, and seeing the tangible results of your spiritual walk. Just like I was out in the garden yesterday, hilling my potatoes because at the moment the garden seems to need consistent attention, not only is it growing, but the weeds want to take over, just as the enemy wants to slow our growth and take over our lives. We must keep the weeds out. Yes, summer is the season that challenges us the most in maintaining our spiritual disciplines, in our devotion to God and in keeping our love for God alive and well, so our love for others will continue to overflow. 3. Autumn: Harvest time and transition time.This is the time where we reap what we have sowen. This is what we have been working hard towards, and the time comes when we see that we are reaping from our long-terms of faithfulness, we have been able to let go of old habits,old bad relationships and of the seasons that have ended and we are able to move on. Autum is a time to enjoy the fruits of your labours in your walk with God, a time to show gratitude to God and to get refocused for the next season, that is on the way. As you do, you learn to relax and trust God, this is still something I struggle with, I often yern for the freedom of just letting go and trusting God with both the blessings I receive and the things that are aout to happen and just release them into His hands. 4. Winter: Thgen my friends, this next season, I never like, its a season that seems cold, the wilderness season. Some how, the enemy never gives up, and He brings a cold and miserbale season into your life. A time when nothing is happening, no one is listening, and you feel some what distant from God and from others. You are overwhelmed by life and the troubles you are facing. These times can be painful times but winter comes for a reason. Its not a time for dispare, but rather a time to repair. Its a deep time to rest, to seek internal growth. God uses winter as a season to do summer fallow and to prepare the soul for the spring to come. A season, to rest and to teach us dependence on God and to build an unshakeable foundation that gives us perseverance to carry on. Throughout every season of shifting seasons as we face different temperatures,different trials and cercumstances we know God is the same yesterday, today and forever. His unconditional love remains the only true constant in our lives. The cross of Christ is my ultimate anchor in the storm. This faith ensurs my securety held in the very arms of God, no matter what season we walking through. We are told that while we were dead in our sins, God still loved us. “You see,” explained the apostle Paul, “at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). Paul continued, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (v. 8). Jesus chose disciples with flaws, just like us. He ate meals with known sinners just like us. He healed outcasts, just like us. We are like flowers that have not bloomed, we are plants for God that are not only for their flowers, but also for our personality and our characters, where God sees the beauty “in things that, on first sight, are not beautiful. God see the whole you, where we often are blinded to our worth in God's sight. Friends lets remember we are bearers of God’s image, we show Him to the world in how we relate to Him and each other. Planted in His love, we’re anointed by our God to bloom where we are planted in Him.. Knowing we were once-dead sinners, but now because of Jesus we are showing His beauty to a world longing for a glimpse of Him. One day we will see Him face to face. Oh what a day that will be. Father God, I ask you today for the faith and strength to trust you, in what ever season I find myself in. I know that you have placed a call on my life and you will carry me through. Lord, help me to spiritually bloom so others can see His image in me. Yes, Lord, You called me when I was dead in my sins. Thank You for saving me to bloom for you As I face season of life, I will remain faithful in trusting you through each one. Thank you. In Jesus name I ptray AMEN.