A Minute With The Pastor

A Minute With The Pastor
As summer makes its transition into fall, the air is crisper, and God paints the earth’s canvass with so many beautiful colors. The trees are splashed with deep amber, gold, ruby red and the darkest of purples. The leaves litter the ground, painting the sidewalks with various colors.
When the air is cooler, it means that it’s hoodie time! I love good hoodies. The best ones are zip hoodies with a kangaroo pouch in the front, perfect for cold hands. Fall means boots and blue jeans, hats and light scarves. Fall means FOOTBALL!
In our Christian walk, we too experience seasons that are wonderful and difficult.
I recently went through a season of pruning and loss. I am beginning a season of growth and waiting. It is hard though. God removed many things from my life that I deemed precious, as well as many things that I thought were good, but really weren’t that great. Yet in those losses, it brought me closer to God and has allowed me to grow more in trusting Him.
To grow also takes work. Seeds have to set roots and
break through the soil to produce fruit. The same goes for our walk. God wanted me to grow in trusting Him more, so things happened to test that trust. Again, very hard, but it allowed me to see how much I really needed to trust God with my life, instead of trusting in myself.
In Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon reminds us that there is a
season for everything; we will experience both good and bad. In verses 2-8, he lists things that contrast each other- a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
God acknowledges that we may experience seasons of
great abundance or great loss. We can experience great joy or great pain. But the beautiful thing of all is this:
None of these seasons or experiences is wasted; God can use everything we experience and make it beautiful.
(Ecclesiastes 3:11)
Here are a few wonderful promises to remember in our
hard seasons:
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4) What was meant for evil, God meant for good. (Genesis 50:20)
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (1 Peter 5:10)
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33) No matter what season you’re in; whether it is lack or abundance, remember that God is with you. He loves you and everything you experience is meant to bring you closer to Him and advance His kingdom. Cling tight to Him, whatever your season. There is a time for everything.
God’s Blessings,
Pastor Robbin