Its officially Fall (Autumn), the leaves are changing color and it’s a beautiful sight! As I watch the foliage on trees change from green to orange to brown and fall effortlessly, I think about the seasons of life and how things change in our lives. I wonder why we humans struggle with change from one season of life to another. We struggle when the green and vibrant, turns orange and fading, and then brown and lifeless.
The trees have made peace with the changing seasons and have found a way to rest and reinvent with every season. The tree knows that even though things dry up in Autumn, it would bloom again and flourish in the Spring. It yields to the process each season and re-emerges with brighter flowers and better fruits.
Many times, we hold on too tightly to our current reality and pitch our tent at the last instruction from God. In that season, we join the camp of those who acted on God’s instruction and stayed there. In many cases, God is giving new instructions, but we are still holding on to the last thing He said and not listening to what He is saying. To avoid this camp, you need to nurture your relationship with God. In intimacy, you will know when your season changes and what to do.
At other times, we join the camp of those who have not acted on the last instruction from God, but want more instructions about next steps. If that sounds like your season of life, go back to the last thing God told you to do and do it. Be faithful with what you have in your hands. God has to trust you with little before He can trust you with much more.
During the famine in Israel, God told Elijah to go to a brook where a Raven fed him bread and meat. After a while, the brook dried up and God told Elijah to go to Zarephath where a widow would take care of him. Imagine what would have happened to Elijah if he was disconnected from God and remained at the brook even after the raven stopped bringing food? Unfortunately in our world today, some people will say that it could be God’s will for him to die in the place of obedience. However, that is not true. Elijah remained in close relationship with God and was able to hear the next instruction to move to Zarephath.
When he got to the destination, Elijah saw a widow as God had said, but she looked so despondent, it was clear she needed help – how could that be the widow that God commanded to take care of him? Did he miss God? Should he have stayed at the brook? Elijah looked at the widow and she didn’t look like she could provide for him as God said but He believed God. He asked the woman for her last cake, she gave her last meal and opened the door to her miracle. Then she was able to provide for Elijah till the famine ended.
Believe God even when things don’t look like you expect. Hold on to God and yield the ebb and flow of your life to Him. God will help you get stronger with each season and you will find peace. Jesus is Lord over every season of life. Let Him carry you.
Yielding the seasons to Jesus,
Ibidun
