Seasons

January 3 – Today’s Readings – Genesis 7-9 and Psalms 3

I was deeply moved by Psalms 3:3 today; – “But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head” Do you see it? God Almighty comes along side you and lifts your head so He can look straight into your eyes and dispel all shame. He sets a crown of victory on your brow and puts a royal robe of righteousness on your shoulders – “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. [Ephesians 2:6]

All enemies have been placed where they belong under the feet of Jesus – and therefore under our feet too! What a glorious picture of salvation and walking in victory with our God and King! Let’s never lose the picture of who we are in Christ – “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” [Romans 8:37]

I did have a side thought yesterday as I was walking. Even things that are “under foot” can sometimes give us trouble. If we lose peripheral vision and are no longer spiritually aware, even things under our feet can trip us up and cause a fall. Victorious children of God need to keep keen spiritual “eyesight”.

Genesis 8:22 reads; “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
Here is a truth that is worth meditating on – there are unmistakable “seasons” in life. When it’s very cold outside, the entire city goes into slow mode. The gardens don’t grow and the people fatten up for lack of exercise. Come late spring, all of that changes. Busyness and “planting” are the order of the season. Later, when the harvest ripens, the farmers work night and day to bring in the precious fruit of the ground. There is something about working within the rhythms of life and not worrying or trying to force things. However, we must be doing the will of the Father in season and out of season. The spiritual harvest of the souls of men knows no seasons. It’s always harvest time. On the one hand, we need to be completely at rest with the “season” of life we are in – on the other hand we need to be awake and alert to every opportunity the Holy Spirit gives us to “do the works of God”. This is the beauty of the Christian life – there is no striving in our service to God but there is constant “laboring” in the harvest field.

May God bless your victorious day.

Questions:
1. Give us an example of how Jesus has “lifted your head”.

2. How can we be both “striving” yet completely “at rest” in Jesus?