Seasons...

Seasons

I have learned that when something comes from many directions, it is God's leading and I need to pay attention. Over the past few weeks one comment has been said by multiple people. We are either coming out of a trial, going into a trial, or in the midst of a trial. (You can replace the word trial with season, struggle, valley, or any number of words. You get the meaning. I like the word, Seasons.) These struggles, trials, or valleys are seasons in our life. I would venture to say at least a half dozen people have used a form of these words in the past couple of weeks. It is funny to me how God gets our attention. I love the verses in the Bible where the author says, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." These words occur in Matthew 11:15, Matthew 13:9, Mark 4:9, and Revelations 2:7. Jesus encourages people to listen and understand what he is saying.

I was thinking about the seasons of life on the way to work. I know people who really don't go through many seasons or struggles. But, I know people who go through seasons continuously. Many Theologians believe that people who go through perserverance or hardship have a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God. I know Paul and Job are two of those examples in the Bible. They had to rely on God fully, completely, and Paul wrote about those challenges and our strength that comes from hardships and struggles. I do believe that is true. I believe the more we grow in our relationship with God, the more struggles and trials we will endure. I know that within the midst of the hardship, we have to rely on God to strengthen us, grow us spiritually, and our relationship with Him is deepened as our dependence on God grows. People who come out of struggles will testify to their renewed understanding of God carrying them, God's patience, God's love and God's mercies.

In Isaiah 41:10 God directs us to "Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand". 

I know that I am in the inbetween. I know that one struggle has ended and I am entering another. As Paul said in Romans 5:3-5 "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Seasons develop us, our character, our faith, our hope, and our strength. I know that in the seasons of my life, God carries me.