A Time To #1

Understand The Seasons

We begin this series with an introduction to the spiritual seasons.  Everything we will go through in this series deals with the ebb and flow of the Spirit.  There are seasons and times in which the Spirit operates.  We are going to spend this week making sure we are active and serving in God in these seasons so as to get the most out of the Spirit.

2 Types of seasons

There are 28 seasons detailed from Ecclesiastes 38:2-8.  While these seasons cover a variety of topics and points along a person's timeline, they can be broken down into two types: Gains and Losses.  Look throughout these scriptures and you'll see these types.  To be born is a gaining season. To die is a losing season.  A time to plant is a result of a season of loss.  A time to pluck up is a result of a season of gaining.  These and the other seasons all deal with adding to or taking away from an individual or group.  Whether they are done by circumstance, divine influence or the individual or groups decisions, these seasons offer us an opportunity to respond. 

28 Seasons, One Response

We've already addressed that there are 28 seasons and we will detail each of them in the coming weeks.  However, there is one response that fits with each: Action.  Some of these actions are passive and some are aggressive.  Some require production and others require removal.  However, the one common thread is that they all require an action.   No matter what we face throughout life, we must be prepared to act.  If we don't, we risk facing two consequences

Overwhelmed and Passed Over

Nobody wants to feel overwhelmed in life.  To be overwhelmed means you are out of control and unable to prevent or combat the things that are happening to you.  That financial situation becomes to massive for you to conquer.  The family situation with your child becomes hopeless and they seem to be slipping away and you can't do anything to stop it.  That ministry you are pursuing becomes a dot on the horizon that never comes closer.

Overwhelmed states often come out of a season of lack when things are being taken from us. When we lose something, a void is left in our lives.  The world and the enemy will try to replace it with stress, anxiety, sin, distraction, and other things that bring us down. If successful, these replacements will bring us to a state of feeling overwhelmed and that leads to destruction (1 Peter 5:8) 

When we seem to be losing things in life, it is incumbent on us to respond with devotion to God so as to not be overwhelmed by the world and enemy in its attempts to replace what is removed from us.  It isn't always easy to respond in a season of lack, but we must if we want to survive to the next season of gain.

Likewise, nobody likes the idea of getting passed over.  Getting passed over means you get to witness others experience plenty, while you stay the same or regress. When people around you are getting blessed with miracles and you miss out on yours, that's frustrating.  When a friend's marriage has a breakthrough while yours sinks further into despair, that's upsetting.  When others are asked to take a role of leadership that you felt called to, that's despairing.

Passed Over sates often come out of a season of plenty.  Rather than trying to replace a loss in our life, the enemy and world try to block us from getting in on the abundance that God is pouring out.  This comes with distractions and temptation and feelings of inferiority as well as other diminishing attacks.  It kept Israel out of the Promise Land for 40 years and it can keep us from our promise for a long time, too.

If successful, these blockades will keep us from advancing to where God will want us to be in life.  Moreover, they will keep us from storing up for the next season of loss in life.  It is necessary, then, for us to look for opportunities to get involved when the windows of heaven are open and showering down blessings and opportunities.

Attaining an Active Mindset

If we can get an active mindset when it comes to living in the Kingdom of God, we will be prepared for every season God throws our way.  It takes continued commitment to the basics of prayer, Bible reading and fasting.  However, it also takes a deeper commitment to God.  Having God wrapped up in every area of our lives can assist us when we face a season of Loss.  When that void pops up, God fills the gap because He was there to begin with (Isaiah 59:19).  Likewise, looking for opportunities to grow in God before the seasons of Gain prep us to respond when they do.  Getting involved in church, community and a general pursuit of God in our daily actions can prepare us for the seasons of Gain (Matthew 6:20)

We have to be prepared for the seasons before they arrive.  We can only do that if we are active in our pursuit of God and what He has for us.

---

• Look for areas of your life that need God to be wrapped up in them.
• Start letting God into those areas by praying to Him about them and reading your Bible for how to operate in them. 
• Example: If you haven't prayed to God about your marriage/relationship lately, commit to giving 5 minutes a day praying over it and 5 minutes reading the Bible about marriage/relationships.
• Watch as this prepares you for seasons of Loss and how you benefit when they arrive.

---

• Look for opportunities to advance your walk with God.
• Pray each day for God to guide your actions to honor him and to help others grow closer to God.
• Example: Pray for God to give you words to say to your friends as you interact with them.
• Watch as this helps prepare you for seasons of Gain and how you prosper when they come forth.

This week, we will only do one devotion as verse 1 of Ecclesiastes 3 only covers this topic.  We will pick up next week with verse two on Wednesday September 2.  You can expect a second devotion on September 4 and Review over the weekend.  This Friday the 27th, we'll have a followup survey to this devotion so look forward to that.  Have a blessed day.