and a season for every activity under heaven:”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV
Every year my husband plants a vegetable garden and every year as fall approaches the produce gets smaller and the vines begin to wither and die. I dread the moment when the last tomato has been picked and eaten because that signals that yet another season is over for eating wonderful fresh vegetables.
This reminds me of the verse in Ecclesiastes that says, “There is a time and a season for everything under heaven.” I used to beat myself up because I couldn’t seem to get everything perfect all at the same time. The perfect wife, the perfect mother, the cleanest house, the prettiest garden, the thinnest body, the best hostess, the best Christian, and on and on it went! Then God showed me that perfection belongs only to heaven and that here on earth everything has a season.
It seems to me that some seasons of my life I have spent more time in the garden with God than at other times. I came to realize that Satan definitely wanted me to view those lean and infrequent times with God as spiritual failure, but God wanted me to know that my life would be a collection of changing seasons. God has shown me that in some seasons I had more desire for him. In other seasons I had more need for him, and in my busy seasons of life, the God of mercy and grace provided for me with a quick verse, a butterfly, a flower, a sunset, a casserole from a friend, a bag of clothing for my children, a song on the radio, a sermon, and a hard working faithful husband.
Each season of my life has become a precious pearl on a string around my neck. This necklace is a reminder to me that God has always been with me. God has loved me in every season of my life. In some seasons I have experienced prosperity, blessings, peace and joy. Other seasons of my life have experienced financial difficulties, personal loss, relational conflict, and lack of understanding.
Even with all of my mistakes, my busy responsibilities, and in the times of desperation, God has continued to love me in and through every season of my life. I believe that in any season of our life God is less interested in the quantity of fruit that is harvested from our garden, but is more concerned with the quality of the time that we have spent with him, in the garden of our heart. The quantity of fruit is God’s business, not ours.
God has an amazing way of taking even our smallest effort for growth and causing it to yield fruit for him. We may plant and we may water but it is God who gives the increase. I would like to paraphrase Psalm 1:3. “We are like a tree planted by a stream of water, a tree that yields fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither, and what ever we do in his name he prospers.”
This reminds me of the verse in Ecclesiastes that says, “There is a time and a season for everything under heaven.” I used to beat myself up because I couldn’t seem to get everything perfect all at the same time. The perfect wife, the perfect mother, the cleanest house, the prettiest garden, the thinnest body, the best hostess, the best Christian, and on and on it went! Then God showed me that perfection belongs only to heaven and that here on earth everything has a season.
It seems to me that some seasons of my life I have spent more time in the garden with God than at other times. I came to realize that Satan definitely wanted me to view those lean and infrequent times with God as spiritual failure, but God wanted me to know that my life would be a collection of changing seasons. God has shown me that in some seasons I had more desire for him. In other seasons I had more need for him, and in my busy seasons of life, the God of mercy and grace provided for me with a quick verse, a butterfly, a flower, a sunset, a casserole from a friend, a bag of clothing for my children, a song on the radio, a sermon, and a hard working faithful husband.
Each season of my life has become a precious pearl on a string around my neck. This necklace is a reminder to me that God has always been with me. God has loved me in every season of my life. In some seasons I have experienced prosperity, blessings, peace and joy. Other seasons of my life have experienced financial difficulties, personal loss, relational conflict, and lack of understanding.
Even with all of my mistakes, my busy responsibilities, and in the times of desperation, God has continued to love me in and through every season of my life. I believe that in any season of our life God is less interested in the quantity of fruit that is harvested from our garden, but is more concerned with the quality of the time that we have spent with him, in the garden of our heart. The quantity of fruit is God’s business, not ours.
God has an amazing way of taking even our smallest effort for growth and causing it to yield fruit for him. We may plant and we may water but it is God who gives the increase. I would like to paraphrase Psalm 1:3. “We are like a tree planted by a stream of water, a tree that yields fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither, and what ever we do in his name he prospers.”Questions:
Have you ever been discouraged because you wanted to spend time with God and you just couldn’t make it happen?
Have you carried guilt because of that?
Was that guilt from Satan or from God?
What season of life are you in right now?
Do you see any opportunity in your day to snatch a bit more time for God?
Is God in the process of moving you into a new season of life?
Prayer:
Dear God,
I thank you that you are always calling me to come to the garden. I also thank you that you have promised to meet me in my time of need. Today I need you to help me re-evaluate my schedule, my activities, and my season in life. Lord I don’t want to miss a single opportunity to seek your face, even if it’s only for five minutes. God if you are moving me into another season of my life show me my purpose and give me your wisdom for what is ahead. Help me to embrace wherever it is that you are leading me. Even if it is a season on sorrow I pray that I might find your sustaining peace and joy in the garden of prayer.
In Your Son’s Name I pray. Amen.
Have you ever been discouraged because you wanted to spend time with God and you just couldn’t make it happen?
Have you carried guilt because of that?
Was that guilt from Satan or from God?
What season of life are you in right now?
Do you see any opportunity in your day to snatch a bit more time for God?
Is God in the process of moving you into a new season of life?
Prayer:
Dear God,
I thank you that you are always calling me to come to the garden. I also thank you that you have promised to meet me in my time of need. Today I need you to help me re-evaluate my schedule, my activities, and my season in life. Lord I don’t want to miss a single opportunity to seek your face, even if it’s only for five minutes. God if you are moving me into another season of my life show me my purpose and give me your wisdom for what is ahead. Help me to embrace wherever it is that you are leading me. Even if it is a season on sorrow I pray that I might find your sustaining peace and joy in the garden of prayer.
In Your Son’s Name I pray. Amen.
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