Spiritual Meteorology

Since we talked about assumptions this past Sunday, I wanted to share an assumption of mine the Lord recently shattered. I didn't even realize that I had made this assumption, and it's going to sound a little silly at first. I was driving one day and praying, but it was one of those prayers that felt like a lot of work. What I mean is that it was a good thing to pray for, but the prayer seemed to be running entirely on my own effort. Of course, prayer isn't always easy, and you don't necessarily always need to feel a certain way. But this prayer just felt empty. I didn't sense any real life in it.

Then the Lord asked me a question, "What if I'm not doing that right now?"

That kinda took me by surprise because I guess I had assumed that God always did the same thing all the time. The truth is that there are times and seasons when God does different things. King Solomon put it like this:

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.

-Eccl 3:1

That is a very insightful verse. Seasons are important. Timing is important. By God's design, there are seasons and rhythms to life. Spring leads to Summer, Summer to Fall...Fall to Winter. It doesn't make much sense to wear summer clothes in the winter. It also doesn't make much sense to try harvesting when it's a season for planting or vice versa. In fact, it doesn't matter how skilled you are or how many tools you have at your disposal, you're going to have a tough time trying to harvest when it's a season for planting. The key is learning to recognize and discern the season you're in. I think much of living well and spiritual leadership comes down to just this.

Consider how many times Jesus said, "My time has not yet come..." Jesus also spoke to us about the importance of recognizing seasons.

Then he (Jesus) turned to the crowd: "When you see clouds coming in from the west, you say, 'Storm's coming'—and you're right. And when the wind comes out of the south, you say, 'This'll be a hot one'—and you're right. Frauds! You know how to tell a change in the weather, so don't tell me you can't tell a change in the season, the God-season we're in right now. -Luke 12:54-56

We're often much more in tune with the natural than the spiritual, but if we fail to understand the season we're in, we end up trying to maintain something that's over or manufacture something that's not yet...both are unfruitful and wear us out! (By the way, fasting is one way to help us discern the season...to put us more in touch with the spiritual than the natural.)

Personally, I feel like I'm in a season of deeper surrender and dependence on God. Our nation is in a season of transition as our new President takes office. The Church at large, I believe, is in a season of restructuring and transformation.

What season are you in?

What is God doing at this time in your life, and how can you cooperate?

Do you need to do some spiritual meteorology?

Ben Davis