Seasons of Change

Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

to provide for those who grieve in Zion-to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

That they might be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of The LORD for the display of His splendor. (Isaiah 61:3)

Maybe I don’t need to hold on so tight. Because I am caught and captured in the arms of Jesus.

Could it be that God has us right where we need to be? And that all this holding on is just a figment of our own thinking and perception of how we believe things are. In reality He has us safe in His grip and will never let us go. We must let go of the old to grasp the new, and be willing to be moved by the winds of grace.

 

When it’s time to let it go

Teach me Lord that I may know

 

What it is that be Your will

Help me Lord, to just be still

 

When I see I’m caught and captured

By Your love and fully enraptured

 

Held in place by steel strong Arms

Safe and secure from all life’s harms

 

You do show and make it known

Oh Yes You are, God alone

 

©laurette laster

photos taken by laurette laster

Earlier today as I was studying scriptures I found myself thinking, I wonder if I wrote a poem on this date last year. So as I came to see and to answer my own question and I find this poem, the one posted above.

Isn’t it ironic that I find myself at the same place today as I was last year, yet in completely different circumstances? Yet the lesson is,  be still and know that He indeed is God and that He is taking me through and into new places, is still what is being worked out. I love the adventure and I love the fact that we must have faith in order to go. No faith, no adventure. Growth is by faith in the spiritual just as growth is by seasons in the natural. The mighty oak stands still yet grows and matures season by season, come what may. Can you picture seeing trees with nap sacks packed up and moving? When ask what are you doing they would answer; I don’t like the weather so I’m relocating. That is absurd isn’t it? Without each season the tree wouldn’t mature and grow and be productive.  Yet we with free will must be taught to stand still, to occupy, to grow, to mature, to bear fruit, remain steadfast, pray, take up the full armor of God, give, sow, reap, to name just a few and if that’s not enough we need to keep these all in balance. It can become overwhelming if we allow ourselves to believe we are doing it all. When we can keep our eyes fixed on Jesus we become trees of righteousness, the planting of The LORD. He plants us just where He wants us to be.

Last year as I snapped these pictures I remember seeing this leaf captured in the fence. It appeared to me that the leaf was holding on for dear life and not seeing that it was caught in the grip of the fence. This really spoke to me because I was going through changes that I knew were of God but yet felt a little lost during the adjustment phase I was going through. It was then I was prompted to think about the promises in the bible of how we are safe and secure in the hands of God. Underneath are the Everlasting Arms. A word in due season He gave me in August 2013 when He said let go. Then I was reminded that God is our deliverer and He sings songs of deliverance over us. He is singing when I feel like I am in danger of being blown away. Did you take notice that the life of the leaf is over? This leafs season is past. The Lord began to teach me how the trees teach us to let go. We have seasons to learn followed by seasons to apply just what we have learned. If we cannot practically apply what we have learned during this growing season, oh don’t you worry we will get to go through the same trials again. Yes again and again, and over and over until we get it. The trials will look different but yet they are teaching the same principles and kingdom values.

Perhaps you can relate to this. If so I share this to comfort and exhort us both. We are able to do more than we can think or imagine. Not because we are so great or awesome but simply because God has us right where He wants us to be. We are called mighty oaks, the planting of The LORD.  Growing and maturing and advancing the kingdom is hard work and the struggle indeed is real, but the growth is God ordained. We will always be called mighty oaks, the plantings of The Lord and we will produce a crop of leaves each season. Each year brings with it different trials, each one to mature us and to equip us for advanced kingdom work.  Now we pray, Lord of the harvest, send us out as laborers. May we take what we have learned this season and be blown by the winds of grace, Speaking the truth in love, that we may grow up into the Head which is Christ Jesus.

Dear Lord Jesus, I pray Your body, Christians followers and doers of Your word and believer’s of Your finished work on the Cross embrace growth through change, maturity through seasons, and indeed be a display for Your splendor.  Amen

God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and give you Shalom.

Until next time, thank you for listening with me. Laurette