Seasons of Life

The SEASONS OF LIFE may not be clear to you, but they are like a diary showing where you are and where you are headed.

ELISHA could tell where he was headed when Elijah threw the mantle on him. All he could do was leave everything and follow him. (2 Kings 2 verse 13)

SAMSON knew things were bad when the Philistines cut his hair, removed his eyes and made him a sport.

And he prayed: “Lord, remember and strengthen me this time. Let me take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes.” (Judges 16 verse 28)

PETER became aware of his location when he fell at Jesus’ feet and told him to depart from him, for he was a sinful man. (Luke 5 verses 8-9)

MARTHA knew something was about to shift when she heard Jesus say, "I am the resurrection and the life." (John 11 verse 25)

If you're conscious of where you are, you can tell what season of life you are in. But how do you know your season of life?

Living in the moment; one season at a time.

PATTERNS and HAPPENINGS around you can tell you.

Abram was so burdened about not having a child that he said to God:

What reward will You give me, since I am [leaving this world] childless, and he who will be the owner and heir of my house is this [servant] Eliezer from Damascus?” (Genesis 15:2)

SOMEONE can tell you what season you're in.

For example, Jesus told Zacchaeus that salvation has come to his household because he, too, is a[spiritual] son of Abraham. (Luke 19 verse 9)

GOD can tell you the season of your life.

Through word of prophecy, Agabus told Paul what season he was getting into.

He tied his hands with Paul’s girdle and said this would happen to the girdle's owner. (Acts of Apostles 2 verse 11)

LIFE can be divided into four spiritual seasons. Wilderness is the first season we will discuss.

WILDERNESS is a lonely place of hunger and thirst, a place of provocation. You know how painful it can be if you've been in one.

Jesus was led to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. So God can orchestrate your wilderness season. (Matthew 4 verses 1-11)

The children of Israel were led forty years in the wilderness to be humbled so that God might know their hearts. (Deuteronomy 8 verse 2)

Your wilderness is where your heart is revealed.

SATAN made it a place of provocation, but Jesus made it a place of manifestation.

He knew that consistent provocation could mess with one’s destiny. So, he told Satan, “For it is written.”

While his calling was an ordination, his obedience was a manifestation.

Whenever you are tempted, speak Jesus.

THE WILDERNESS is not only a place of trial. It can be where you meet with God.

Jacob made it his sacred place when he dreamt of angels walking up and down a ladder from heaven.

He built his altar and named the place Bethel. (Genesis 28 verses 10-17)

Paul made the boat he was in his sacred place.

He said: For this very night, an angel of the God I belong and serve stood before me. Stop being afraid, Paul.

You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has given you [the lives of] all those sailing with you. (Acts of Apostles 27:13-44)

Israel struggled on the way to Canaan because they refused to name the wilderness their sacred place.

Recall that they left Egypt to worship God. So, every path was sacred.

You'll not have a safe place until you make your wilderness sacred.

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Speak Jesus.

IN THE DESERT, you must be careful what plants you eat.

Once, the sons of the prophets gathered wild gourds, poured them into stew, and cooked them.

But as they served and ate them, they realized they were poisonous. (2 Kings 4 verses 38-41)

Be noble. Ensure what you are taught is true. (Acts of Apostles 17 verse 11)

YOU CANNOT eat from anywhere and not be poisoned. Some pulpits are not of God.

Paul said to the Galatians: I am astonished and extremely irritated that you are so quickly shifting your allegiance and deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different [even contrary] gospel.

This is not another [gospel], but there are [obviously] some [people masquerading as teachers] who are disturbing and confusing you [with misleading, counterfeit teaching] and want to distort the gospel of Christ [twisting it into something which it is not]. (Galatians 1:6-8)

TO GET counsel, be careful where you go and what company you keep.

David missed it when he tried to make a pact with the Philistines—and they rejected him.

When he returned to Ziklag, he found his camp plundered, and everyone had been taken captive. (1 Samuel 29 & 30)

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You'll not have a safe place until you make your wilderness sacred.

WILDERNESS is a place of thirst. Because of the need for water, desert travelers look for wells.

Astronomers will tell you that water is a sign of life. So when they see water on a planet, they think there might be life there.

IN YOUR wilderness season, look for a source of life where you can feed properly and receive the words of hope.

David said: “As the deer pants for the waters, so my soul pants after you. (Psalm 42)

Anyone or source that will pull you from God is of the Devil. Stay far from it.

Bringing it Together

A MATURE and BALANCED FAITH is not one that has refused the agony and the wrestling but one that has been through them and grown from the experience—Malcolm Guite.

Have a great week.