“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven”… (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV)
The Seasons of Our Faith
Spring
The Beginning–This season of our faith is when we first come to know and accept the Lord into our lives. It is filled with awe, wonder and hope.
Summer
The Sun—This is the season when we want to tell the world about the Light that shines so brightly in our lives.
Autumn
Transition–This season is the natural progression from the start of our new life in Christ to everyday Christian living. This is the season of fellowship.
Winter
Storms—This season of our faith is stormy and oftentimes unexpected.
When I was a new Christian, I thought the Spring and Summer seasons of my faith would last forever. I was on fire. I thought nothing could change the way I felt. I studied God’s Word, found a church, and became very active there. But I slowly let life get in the way. I was doing volunteer work in my community and in my son’s school. Although I continued to read a devotion every morning, reading and studying God’s word changed from every day to “when I found time”.
“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand’. (Psalm 16:11 NIV)
I realized that the Lord must be my priority. There is nothing that can take the place of daily prayer, meditation and studying His Word. Without it, we will wander through life, and we will never be prepared for the unpredictable storms that lie ahead. It was one of those storms that finally brought me back to my daily time with the Lord. I needed shelter away from the storm and He provided it.
“I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.” (Psalm 55:8 NIV)
Spending quality time with the Lord doesn’t always prevent the storms from coming. Sometimes the Lord uses the storms in our lives to help us grow. But it does prepare us for the storms ahead and enables us to change our direction into His loving, protective arms.
Prayer
Father, I thank you for each 24 hours you give me. Help me to use those hours wisely to get to know You more and more every day. In Jesus’ name, I pray.
