Prepare for the Changing Seasons
The signs of changing seasons are usually very obvious. School buses slowing our morning commute warn us that summer break is over. The school supply shelves have dwindled to a small clearance display making room for pumpkins, costumes and candy corn. Facebook feeds are no longer filled with back to school pictures of precious little ones displaying their new uniforms, shoes and backpacks. Young moms are smiling a little bigger with new, found freedoms and college moms are still a bit weepy. Dad’s brows are furrowed as they wonder how they will pay for it all. Early mornings bring a twinge of cooler temperatures and leaves have begun to litter the lawn.
All of creation speaks of changing seasons and yet we deny reality in every part of our being. We welcome the parts of season changing that we enjoy….summer ushering in play and relaxation, but with it comes long hot days causing the body to sweat from a mere walk to the car. We love growing up and gaining greater freedoms, but we hate the aging loose skin that begins to appear. We feel wonder and awe as we catch sudden peeks of the beauty in leaves changing from green to every color imaginable! Yet we complain at the seemingly never-ending task of raking and disposing of them.
Humanity is never happy!
The signs and warnings are very evident, yet we refuse to acknowledge them and accept them when they are upon us. Scripture clearly warns that seasons are changing and will continue to change as Jesus’ return draws near. The pages of our Bibles are filled with warning and instruction, but we have chosen to cling only to the parts we love.
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that He is near, at the very gates. Matt. 24:32-33
In the verses prior to these, Jesus is very specific in what to watch for. Deception. Wars. Nation against Nation. Famines. Earthquakes. Persecution! Increased Wickedness!
It’s as if He is saying, “Do you hear the rumbling bus? Do you feel the air? Do you not see the leaves changing right over there? Attention! The shelves are changing.
The obvious changes are declaring: “Prepare!”
Now is the season to prepare! Take heed the word of the Lord and don’t be caught unaware. This is a spiritual preparation that goes far beyond storing beans and bottling water. It is a call to stand as a warrior for the Kingdom of God.
This might stir a question within your heart. In light of the signs of change, how do I prepare?
Believe the signs –Jesus is coming soon.
Believe God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do.
Believe you are who He says you are
Believe you can stand with all the armor of God in place
Believe you are victorious because He is victorious
Believe the most important thing is to love God and love people
“10 In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might. Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil.” (Eph. 6:10-11 AMP)