August 2023
Nougat 21
It is a hot summer here in Geneva. The temperature has been in the 90/35+ all last week, and continues into this week. I am a tropical bird, but I tell you, this girl is Oh so READY for the new season, when it hopefully is a bit cooler! What’s the weather like in your part of the world? And speaking of weather, what season are you facing spiritually? Today’s Holy Nougat
“There’s a season for everything and a time for every matter under the heavens:” Ecclesiastes 3:1 CEB
Changing Seasons
In the natural, we all face different seasons of growth and development, even if we have some disabilities. We are born babies; then we advance to toddler stage, to childhood, adolescence, young adult, adulting, senior citizenship and physical death/transition to eternity – if we’re blessed to make it all the way. And at each stage (season), there are cognitive and physical markers that help to confirm that we are developing as we ought.
Paul’s letter to Timothy also uses the natural growth cycle to advance the premise of seasons in our spiritual lives. He says “Instead, like a newborn baby, desire the pure milk of the word. Nourished by it, you will grow into salvation,” (1 Peter 2:2 ) promising Timothy the potential for growth in God’s Spirit. I dare suggest my siblings, if it applied to Timothy then, it is worth considering for our own lives.
Not counting physical years, how would we describe, no – how would we define our current season? Babe (ie new convert), toddler (ie still young in the faith, not very mature),
child (beginning to hear God’s voice and understand God’s Word), adolescent (walking in faith and sharing what we’ve experienced of God’s grace and love), or adult (truly maturing in our gifts, discipling others, and manifesting the gifts of God’s Spirit?
Just as some humans mature at different paces for different aspects of development, so it is with us, so my ‘labels’ might overlap in some ways for you and that’s fine. For it’s just one way of looking at seasons.
The thing is, as believers, we ought to be always growing. So regardless of where we are at, there’s scope for the season to change. It may even be that we regress a bit as we adjust to shifts in our lives. And at those times, we must cling dearly to Jesus, for it is literally a battle for our souls taking place.
The enemy of our lives desires our souls – permanently. And the Word says the enemy will use any means necessary to realize that goal. Again in Paul’s letter to Peter we hear “Be clearheaded. Keep alert. Your accuser, the devil, is on the prowl like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith. Do so in the knowledge that your fellow believers are enduring the same suffering throughout the world.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)
We also know that the enemy is a master of disguises. So we can’t always expect lions as the only marker for a shift in our season (in any case, remember that the enemy copies the attributes of God, and Jesus is The Lion of the tribe of Judah). So not only can we see a lion on the rampage, but we may get beguiled by falsies ie “… false apostles and dishonest workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-14).
Ours is the task to safeguard ourselves no matter what season, “… our minds might be seduced in the same way as the snake deceived Eve with his devious tricks. [Then we] might be unable to focus completely on a genuine and innocent commitment to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3)
The joy is siblings, that No Matter What Season We Are Faced With, Our God Is With Us! Whether babes, toddlers, children, adolescents, or adults, God’s grace is ours to take us through the rough patches and into the smooth. God leads us beside still waters; God restores our soul; God is with us in the Valley of Shadows – when we can’t see or hear God, and everything feels like death and danger – offering comfort and protection; God flies in the face of our enemy and feeds us, assuring us that that it is well; and when we’ve messed up and are battle worn and injured, it is God Who anoints us – offering healing grace and strength for the journey, while forgiving us (see Psalm 23)
Yes dears
Seasons shift and change, and through it all, God is with us. What a blessing! Thanks be to God.
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May all we seek be found in Christ