Four Seasons...

In ministry and in life we inevitably go through seasons, just like our earth goes through literal seasons.  On earth for the people that know me know that fall and winter are my absolute favorite!  I love football, snow, Christmas and all things tied to fall and winter.  As for spring and summer... ehhhh... I could do without.  When it comes to seasons of life I am drastically the opposite.

There is tons of excitement in spring when the Word of God is speaking powerfully into your life and you seem to not get enough of it.  You are getting fresh new insights and words from the Lord it seems daily. Things blossom and bud and there is new life and growth all around you. Spring always leads to the fruitfulness of summer.  In the summer the Lord uses you in mighty ways and we can look around say, "Wow!  Look at all the fruit!" God is using you and you feel it and see it.  But then comes fall.... when the Lord says "There are some dead leaves in your life Jason that need to be knocked off."  The strong winds blow, trials come and I wonder what is going on in my life.  Everything was so great and good.  Everything was warm and cozy with the Lord. Fall can be a painful and lonely season...  And then unfotunately fall always leads into winter... Where we experience long periods where we feel nothing and hear very little from the Lord.  In the seasons of fall and winter it is easy to think to yourself, "Am I backsliding?  I must be doing something terrible because I don't feel the Lord's presence."  Sometimes there is sin that coincides with our fall and winter seasons... I know by experience... But sometimes its just the season that we are in spiritually. In the winter time what I am realizing is that the Lord is giving me the opportunity to walk by faith and not by feeling.  I am such a feeler that sometimes it is very easy for me to walk by feeling... It is easy to walk in spring and summer when things are flowing and you can see how God is using you and there is fruit abounding everywhere around you. My flesh cries out how much I hate fall and winter seasons... but my Spirit is reminding me that it is better for the Lord to prepare me and remind me that it is always better to walk by faith and not sight, faith and not feeling.  As a confession... I walk by feeling way to much.  Which I believe the Lord is showing me causes my fall and winter seasons to be way longer than they need be.  This year my faith seasons lined up with the literal seasons. This week I was driving around and was lead to just put on some worship music and sing as hard as I could for the Lord and found myself crying driving around Austin... What the Lord showed me is that in winter we are to Worship! Praise! Sing! Why?  Because in the wintertime is the one opportunity to worship the Lord without immediately receiving more than we give. In the spring time and summer time when we worship our eyes fill up with tears (well at least I do) because we see how good God is and we get back much more from the Lord in those times than we could ever deserve. You just think, "how can the Lord be so good?  I came to worship You Lord and I just get back so much more!"  But you know there are times you go through that are winter times... and you don't feel the tingle when you worship.  For you, you might blame me and think what is wrong with Jason?  He just isn't leading me well this Sunday :-) And you hear Pastor Shawn or your Pastor teach the word and you just aren't understanding it and you aren't able to receive. You open your morning devotions and nothing happens... This is the the opportunity to give to the Lord even though in this season you might not "feel" anything. Lord help me, help us embrace fall and winter seasons...

Psalm 143 is my prayer in the winter season and I want to share it with you right now.

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
    listen to my plea!
    Answer me because you are faithful and righteous.
2 Don’t put your servant on trial,
    for no one is innocent before you.
3 My enemy has chased me.
    He has knocked me to the ground
    and forces me to live in darkness like those in the grave.
4 I am losing all hope;
    I am paralyzed with fear.
5 I remember the days of old.
    I ponder all your great works
    and think about what you have done.
6 I lift my hands to you in prayer.
    I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Interlude

7 Come quickly, Lord, and answer me,
    for my depression deepens.
Don’t turn away from me,
    or I will die.
8 Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning,
    for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk,
    for I give myself to you.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord;
    I run to you to hide me.
10 Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God.
May your gracious Spirit lead me forward
    on a firm footing.
11 For the glory of your name, O Lord, preserve my life.
    Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress.
12 In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies
    and destroy all my foes,
    for I am your servant.