Embracing God's Seasons: Preparation, Rest, and Action
Judges 13:25
And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
With God, timing is essential! It would do us well to remember that there is a reason for each season of life we go through! Behind the scenes, God is working. He is preparing people, events, circumstances, climates, you name it, so that, at just the right moment, connections are made and His purposes are thereby initiated and fulfilled! When we learn the necessity of cycles, we then appreciate their beauty! It cannot always be summer, for then we’d never know the beauty of winter’s snow. It cannot always be spring, for then we’d never know the beauty of the leaves during fall! Although winter and fall are not generally thought of as “productive” seasons, it is imperative that they come, else the land would get no rest, and the fruitful seasons of spring and summer would thereby suffer. So it is with the servants of God! We are filled with His Spirit for a task, which only comes “at times”. When that task is accomplished, there is a break or a season of rest before we go into the next task. The key to being Spirit-filled is not to work for Jesus 100% of the time, for that is neither humanly possible, nor practical! The key to being Spirit-filled is simply to be readily available at all times, so that when our seasons come, we are prepared to allow His Spirit to flow through us and use us to get the job done! When will we ever learn that God can do more in a moment than we can do in a lifetime? May I suggest that a misunderstanding of this truth is one of the reasons people experience what we like to call “burn out” in the ministry? Relax! God is in control! As I heard it once said, “Jesus has already died for the world; you don’t have to!” People with good intentions can easily take upon themselves burdens that the Lord never intended for them to bear. Jesus said that His yoke was easy and His burden light! A note for pastors here; if we as leaders were to allow our people seasons of rest as well as seasons of labor, we’d find them to be much more fruitful and productive! “God, help us to maintain a healthy balance of ‘rest’ seasons and ‘work’ seasons so that we may be ready at ‘all’ seasons to give an answer to every man!”
1Pe 3:15
“… be ready always to give an answer to every man …”
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
With God, timing is essential! It would do us well to remember that there is a reason for each season of life we go through! Behind the scenes, God is working. He is preparing people, events, circumstances, climates, you name it, so that, at just the right moment, connections are made and His purposes are thereby initiated and fulfilled! When we learn the necessity of cycles, we then appreciate their beauty! It cannot always be summer, for then we’d never know the beauty of winter’s snow. It cannot always be spring, for then we’d never know the beauty of the leaves during fall! Although winter and fall are not generally thought of as “productive” seasons, it is imperative that they come, else the land would get no rest, and the fruitful seasons of spring and summer would thereby suffer. So it is with the servants of God! We are filled with His Spirit for a task, which only comes “at times”. When that task is accomplished, there is a break or a season of rest before we go into the next task. The key to being Spirit-filled is not to work for Jesus 100% of the time, for that is neither humanly possible, nor practical! The key to being Spirit-filled is simply to be readily available at all times, so that when our seasons come, we are prepared to allow His Spirit to flow through us and use us to get the job done! When will we ever learn that God can do more in a moment than we can do in a lifetime? May I suggest that a misunderstanding of this truth is one of the reasons people experience what we like to call “burn out” in the ministry? Relax! God is in control! As I heard it once said, “Jesus has already died for the world; you don’t have to!” People with good intentions can easily take upon themselves burdens that the Lord never intended for them to bear. Jesus said that His yoke was easy and His burden light! A note for pastors here; if we as leaders were to allow our people seasons of rest as well as seasons of labor, we’d find them to be much more fruitful and productive! “God, help us to maintain a healthy balance of ‘rest’ seasons and ‘work’ seasons so that we may be ready at ‘all’ seasons to give an answer to every man!”
1Pe 3:15
“… be ready always to give an answer to every man …”
~ Pastor Gary Caudill