Know Your Season

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1, NKJV

I absolutely love the fall. We've been super blessed to live most of our lives in Michigan, which has four very distinct seasons. I must admit that one of my favorite seasons is the one we’re in right now. The weather is cooling down, the days are getting a little shorter and fall sports are in full gear.

Each season has its benefits – the things that make it unique; and each season has its characteristics that aren't so great. But every season is equally important because as one season comes to a close, it ushers in a fresh new season.

Did you notice today's scripture? It says, "To everything there is a season...." That means that just like the climate, we are all going to go through different spiritual seasons throughout our lives. It's unavoidable – it's going to happen. So, we'd be wise to learn to recognize the particular season that we're in so that we can learn to weather, if you will, whatever season we're in by faith. So, let's break down those seasons:

(1) Spring Who doesn't love the spring? It’s the season of freshness and life. After a winter of cold and snow, the birth of new life is everywhere you look. It's April showers bringing out May's flowers. On the ground, in the trees – it's everywhere and it's undeniable. It's the time when the farmers are preparing the ground for seed. It's a time of preparation for the things to come. Often these are the feelings that we have when we first give our lives to Jesus, where we are overwhelmed by the excitement of learning about our Savior and growing in our knowledge of His Word. Everything around us seems to be teeming with spiritual life. But Spring is just a season.

(2) Summer Then comes summer, hallelujah! Schools out and it's time for motorcycle riding, BBQ's in the back yard, trips to the beach, summer vacations and weekends at the cottage. The weather is nicer, the days are longer and the folks around here just feel better. It's a great season to spend with family and friends. But, because of the heat, things can start to get dry, and if we're not careful we start to see things drying up or even wilting away. So what do we do? We turn on the sprinklers and pray for rain to help those crops grow. It's a time of patience for the farmers because harvest season is still months away. But they know that even though they may not see the fruit of their labors, the harvest is coming. Did you know that the same thing is true spiritually? We can get dry. Our worship feels dry, our prayer times feel dry, our feelings toward God are dry. The answer to this is a constant amount of spiritual watering every day with God's Word. Summers can be a dry time, a time where we need to learn to be patient, a time to trust that God is working behind the scenes even if we don't feel it. But Summer is just a season.

(3) Fall Then it happens…before we know it, fall is here. You start to feel it in the air. You can't always tell what it is, but something is different. It's harvest season for the farmers. It's what they have anticipated all year long and now it is finally here. Their sowing, weeding, watering and nurturing has paid off and now it's time to reap. Did you know that there is a spiritual harvest season for us too? Now it may not always come on an annual basis, but a harvest always comes to those who sow. Let these words in Galatians 6:7-9 (NKJV) minister to your heart:

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

But Fall is just a season.

(4) Winter For every spring, for every summer and for every fall there is a winter. I have to admit that of the four seasons this is my least favorite. It's cold, the days are shorter, the weather tends to be worse and it seems like every trip just takes longer. But then those special days come after a fresh snowfall when the sight of the snow on the trees is just breathtaking. Around Michigan we usually have a number of "snow days" when everything just shuts down, and we have to dig ourselves out of a mess of snow. Do you know that the same thing is true spiritually? Sometimes life throws a pile of snow at us and laughs in our face and says, "Take that!" So, what do we do? We remind ourselves that winter is just a season, and with God's help we start digging ourselves out and look to help dig others out as well.

So, learn to recognize the season you are in and never forget that each season has its purpose, and that in the end you'll be stronger because you learned to trust God through every season of life.

An Open Letter of Thankfulness and Appreciation

Then we, your people, the ones you love and care for, will thank you over and over and over. We’ll tell everyone we meet how wonderful you are, how praiseworthy you are!" Psalm 79:13, The Message Bible

My Dear Lord:

Today, my heart is full of thanksgiving and appreciation to You and You alone for these past 30 years that we’ve been together. Because of You, I was able to marry the absolute perfect person to share life with. This year we celebrated our 25th year of a marriage made in heaven and I am so thankful. I can honestly tell You Jesus, that I love her and You more today than I ever have. Thank You for guiding us through the lean years, and the years of plenty. The easy years—and the not so easy ones. Thank You for helping us stick together like glue.

I’m thankful that this weekend we will celebrate our 20th year of pastoral ministry together at Valley Family Church. From the early days at the Richland Lodge when we often felt like no one cared whether we were there or not, we always knew You did! Thanks for always having our backs. For always meeting our needs. For always encouraging us when we were down. For always being there for us when those we thought would be our friends for life—disappeared. For always kicking our butts when we needed it. And for helping us to always keep our eyes on You.

I’m thankful for the four incredible children that You blessed us with, and the one in heaven that we’re waiting to meet for the first time. Our hearts are so full and so happy as we see each one of our kids love You with such intensity and sincerity. It’s funny how lately we’ve received criticism for focusing some of our attention on this next generation, but You said that in these last days You would pour out Your Spirit upon our sons and daughters, and it’s so great to see You doing that. Thanks too for helping us to be parents who were able to direct our kids towards You in a way that was attractive to them. We couldn’t have done that apart from You Jesus, and we’re just so thankful for Your guidance every step of the way. They found the joy of knowing You on a very personal level, not just because mom and dad were in ministry.

I’m thankful for our ministry friends here and around the world. Friends who understand our lives because their lives are so much like ours. Friends who inspire us, who challenge us and love us for who we are, not what we do. Friends we can talk with, laugh with, cry with and change the world with.

I’m thankful for the folks who call Valley Family Church their home. I’m thankful for a staff that ALWAYS goes the extra mile. I’m thankful for our volunteers and interns who constantly give so much of their time and energy for eternal purposes. I’m thankful for those who have been faithful financial supporters for all of these years. But most of all I’m thankful for what’s ahead. I believe that our best days and years are before us. I’m thankful that we get to watch You expand our vision and influence to this generation and beyond. God, You’ve got massive things ahead, which gives us a reason to get up every day and put our hands to the plow and work on kingdom business for You our King. For that I am very thankful.

Finally Lord Jesus, thank You for becoming a man, for living a sinless life and for sacrificing Your life for ours. Because You gave Your life for us, we freely give our lives to You with hearts full of thanksgiving.

Yours forever-

Jeff

How Bad Do You Want It?

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, where he has enough to finish it?” Luke 14:28

Can I be honest with you? I didn’t feel like writing today’s devotional. It’s been a long and busy day and I feel like going to get some dinner and then go home and watch the opening season game of the NFL. But I don’t have that option right now because before I go I need to get this done. Ever been in a similar situation? If and when you do, you’ve got to ask yourself the question, “how bad do I want to succeed, how bad do I want to fulfill God’s will and God’s purpose in my life?” You know Jesus wasn’t just talking here about a building here; He was talking about counting the cost of building a life of significance.

It seems like too many of us aren’t willing to admit that the reason that we didn’t make the team, get that promotion, and the reason that we aren’t moving forward in life is that we aren’t willing to put forth the effort and do the hard stuff. It means that there are times when everyone else has gone home that we’re willing to stay after hours and get our work done. Come on now, isn’t it time for us to start counting the cost! How hard are you willing to work at life? Here’s something to consider—No one is going to work harder for your success than you are. Not your boss, not your peers, and certainly not those who work for it. It reminds me of an old saying, “If it’s going to be, than it’s up to me.” Now I’m not discounting God in all of this, but really, do we think God’s going to work harder at our success than we are? Do you think He’s standing by up there in heaven waiting to come down here and help you out because you’re a little tired? He’s the Redeemer of the lost, not the Rescuer of the lazy. Come on now; let’s count the cost!

If we’re going to ever fulfill God’s will for our lives than we need to count the cost. Have you figured out yet that living for Jesus is going to cost you something? And if you’re going to be a success in life that it’s going to cost you even more? Jim Morin, a dear member of our church family once said, “Everything that I value in my life, has cost me something.” It reminds me of that verse in Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” In other words, whatever we put into life will cost us something, but there is a payback, a reaping based on the degree of our efforts.

My wife Beth, is by far, the hardest working person that I have ever known, and I’ve know a lot of people. There may be people out there that want to enjoy the benefits that Beth enjoys, but they don’t have a clue of how hard she has worked, over so many years. Literally, it’s quite common for her to work 16-18 hour days for weeks and months on end. Now that costs something, but the benefit is a very successful and fruitful life. She recently purchased a pretty expensive anniversary gift for yours truly, and she bought it with cash. You see, she’s reaping today because she was willing to count the cost and do the hard stuff, even when she didn’t feel like it.

So today, let’s tap into all that God has for us and work a little harder, stay a little latter, carry a little more of the load, and honor Jesus Christ by our work ethic, and our willingness to do the hard things.