Seasons

Oh, for the wonderful days of winter! I am so ready for summer to be over!

No matter how much I dislike the searing heat of summer or long for those invigorating, crisp days of winter, I can do nothing to hurry them along. I'll just have to wait and allow the seasons to complete their cycle. God has ordained it. So, I will survive!

Aren't our spiritual lives like that, too? When we're living through the searing fire of persecution, trials, or testing, how we long for the season of rest! Days filled with the invigorating service to God. Days filled with excitement when all is going well. "Bring on those days, God," we cry.

Like the seasons, God has ordained our lives to include suffering, testing and persecution. It will not be over until the cycle he ordained has been completed. Know this. God does not allow the cycle to go one minute more than we can bear. His purpose is to refine us and make us better, more of what we should be. Our job is to wait on his timing, allowing him to do what he wants. When his plan is complete, the season will pass. We can then step into the season of rest having been conformed more to the image of his son, Jesus. That's worth going through a little heat for, don't you think?

Rejoicing in the season but looking forward to the change, Gloria