2.20.11 "'Tis the Season"

"'Tis the Season"

Leviticus 9:7-10:20
Mark 4:26-5:20
Psalm 37:30-40
Proverbs 10:6-7

We live in a society where technological advances happen so quickly that we "expect" change. We know the latest and greatest is just around the corner. We like things to happen fast. We get frustrated when our email doesn't load on our phone fast enough, or when it takes to long to make our meal. When our microwave died, I had no idea how it would rock my world. I went to make my snack, and I thought i was going to starve for about 10 or 15 minutes! (Thankfully there's a McDonald's within 5 minutes of home.)

When it comes to our life, we so many times get caught up in the moment, we forget the big picture of what God is trying to accomplish. We forget that life consists of "seasons". So many times individuals enter a difficult time and get so quickly discouraged or disillusioned they give up on everything.

Lisa and I went through a season about 10 years ago when our life was incredibly chaotic. We're busy now, but it pales in comparison to what it was then. We had people telling us "I don't know how you can do it." "You need to back down..." The difficult part was that we were doing what we felt the Lord leading us to do. We really prayed about what we should do, and the Lord revealed that we were in a "season". He led us to not change anything for another year. After that year, he led us to change. Acknowledging that it was only a season helped us to stick it out.

Today's reading in Psalm 37 says, "Don't be impatient for the Lord to act! Keep traveling steadily along his pathway and in due season he will honor you with every blessing, and you will see the wicked destroyed."

You may be in a job situation and you want to bail on the plan. Don't bail on anything until you feel God's blessing on the decision. You may be going through marriage difficulties. Don't give up. It's a season.

Prove yourself faithful during difficult times. Stick it out. Keep traveling steadily on the path of where God has placed you. Too many times we bail right before God was going to move. Our impatience robs God of the chance to make his name great on our behalf.

Sometimes the fact that there's a storm causes us to doubt if God was in it at all. In Mark 4:35-41 is the story of Jesus calming the storm. You remember, he had been sleeping in the back of the boat etc. I've highlighted a couple key thoughts in that story. "Jesus said..." It was his idea. "Soon a fierce storm came up." Even when obeying God, storms will come. "The disciples woke him up, shouting, 'Teacher, don't you care...'" It's our human nature to think that God doesn't care that we're in a storm. The reality is that storms don't take God by surprise. "Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm." God can handle any storm. "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" The Lord wants us to learn to not fear or panic in the midst of the storm we are in.

You only have to ask yourself, "Am I obeying what God is directing me to do?" If your answer is "yes", then Stay the course! If you're answer is "no", then seek counsel from mature Christian friends. If you're answer is "I don't know!", then turn off the noise that's distracting you from hearing his voice, get alone with him, and follow his direction.

Be obedient to what the Lord has directed you to do. Don't let circumstances lure you to manipulate situations in the flesh. Be disciplined to keep yourself to the course. God will never call you to anything without giving you the strength to accomplish it. If you feel like it's "too hard" it's because you are trying to change it in your own strength. Rest in his presence. Rest in his timing. God is in control!

In "due season he will honor you"!



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

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