Are You In A Season Of Change?

I recently was priviledged to read an article in our church newsletter, Tea Time Treasures, called "Seasons: A Mother's Measurement Of Time", written by a friend, Lisa Korkowski. I was so blessed by it that I wanted to share it with all my friends and family here on my blog. I hope it blesses you as much as it did me. I know that lately I have gone through some "famine" in my life and I now see that it is to make me more hungry in areas that I may have gotten fat and complacent in. It may or may not be relavent to your life, but read it and see how it may speak to your heart. You may be glad you did.

"At the beginning of summer, we bought our oldest son new jeans. Only a few months later, he is “rockin”* flood pants. Perhaps this is how mothers measure time. Nothing reveals how much our children have grown as our seasonal clothing inventory!

There are times in our spiritual walk where God’s mark on our life is obvious. After taking on the name of Jesus Christ in baptism, who could forget how close we felt to Him? Or who could forget our excitement receiving the Holy Ghost? However, we all go through seasons where we don’t feel an expansion. There are times when we feel a shortage.

When these periods of stunted growth come, we must examine ourselves. Why aren’t we flourishing? What are we feeding? Scripture is clear we need to starve our flesh and adorn our spirit: “Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires” (Romans 13:14, NLT). We know how to “clothe” ourselves in the presence of the Lord. We must seek Him in prayer, in meditation and worship, in His word, and in gathering together with fellow believers.

Yet sometimes, even if we are clothing ourselves properly, we feel as David felt. There were days when David could not sense the Lord’s presence or direction. His frustration is palpable, “I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me?” (Psalm 42:9). When dealing with deployments or other times of loneliness and loss, we might call on God and not hear His voice. But treasure this: Just because God is not actively speaking in our lives, it does not mean He is not moving.

Remember the 400 years of silence between the Old and New Testament? God forewarned His people in Amos 8:11, “The time is surely coming…when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord.” Yet despite the lack of prophets or new written word, God was on the move. He was waiting for the “fullness of time” to come so he could send His greatest blessing of all, Jesus Christ (Galatians 4:4).

Beth Moore stated, “God can sometimes use a famine in our lives to work up an appetite for Him.” Military wives face many famines. Perhaps you are going through a famine of friends. Perhaps it’s a famine of family. If you feel like you are starving, call out God’s Word and sing His praises. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t see immediate change. Instead, build an appetite for Christ.

David constantly proclaimed God’s promises and past performances to overcome the doubts he felt in times of trouble. To testify God’s faithfulness, read aloud Psalm 42, 61 and 63. Believe the time of hunger will lead to a feast. God will give you a personal revival of the Spirit. Your soul will “be satisfied as with the richest of foods” (Psalm 63:5, NIV).

Do not measure your existence by one day or one week. There is a “fullness of time.” Measure by seasons. This month, as you put away your summer apparel, look at your spiritual wardrobe. What changes has He made in your life? These changes may have been subtle, so examine them closer. You have grown more than you think. Reflect on how God has clothed you with blessings. When you do, you will find you are rockin’* the floodgates of God’s promises."