Daily Devotional Food For Thought
Time-Lapsed Blessing
By
Lisa Crum
Have you ever watched a clip of time-lapse photography as a flower
blooms, a sun rises and sets, or inhabitants of a city swarm, frenzied, like
busy ants in a colony? It takes only a few seconds to see the
painstaking, micro-movements of activity, when in fact the process took hours, or days, to
unfold. Sometimes the blessings of our lives occur so subtly, so gradually, that
we fail to acknowledge them until after-the-fact, when we are able to view the
whole picture from start to finish.
Some of you are experiencing an extremely slowed down pace right now, and it
is an uncomfortable, even painful switch from the life you’re used to.
A loved one has gotten ill (or maybe even yourself); a work adjustment such as a layoff
or forced retirement has shaken your long-term goals; an empty nest just got
full again; or God has perhaps led you into a place you thought would be teeming
with production…only instead of what you expected, now your steps have ground
down to a near halt. If you’re used to running a marathon, it’s just plain
difficult to wade knee-deep in the mud of transition. You may even find yourself
asking, "Lord, are You SURE this is what You ordered for me?"
Change is hard sometimes; it just is…especially for those of us who thrive on structure.
We’re so sure, when we’re slammed by any unexpected turn that throws
our schedule off, that it HAS to be an attack of the enemy to sabotage our
happiness, peace, and progress. Certainly, that is the case sometimes. But know
this: God is not at all taken by surprise at your circumstances; in fact, the
very event that threatens to delay your blessing’s arrival by years could well
be a Divine setup for a time-lapse blessing.
Don’t disdain the season you’re in!
I once made a statement that the Lord expects us to
bear fruit in every season of our lives; and in one sense, that may be
true. However, this morning as I meditated on the Lord’s goodness while
peering out at the changing, falling leaves, God brought that statement
back to my memory and corrected me. He spoke to me, so clearly, that
regeneration doesn’t occur without a dying off first.
Oh, the tree itself is not dying when the amber and crimson leaves break free
from their security and drift to the ground. Instead, the tree is undergoing a
necessary process in order that life may continue and that it
may produce fruit in another season. As you dig your heels in and
patience has her perfect work in you, be assured that you aren’t washed-up,
and you’re no has-been. God is not narrowing your
borders or putting you out to pasture! He has a far greater plan than you might
realize. Embrace the falling of the leaves and enjoy ambling through avenues of
transition…for though the crisp bite of winter’s chill seems to threaten to stay
forever, as surely as spring will come and buds will break forth again, you
too will burst with new growth in HIS INFINITELY PERFECT TIMING.
You’ll look back at your time-lapsed blessing, having come away with so much more
for having had to wait, and you’ll breathe the incredulous words,
"Wow, You knew what You were doing the whole time!"
Scripture of the Day:
"And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and
doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap,
if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint." (Galations 6:9 AMP)
Time-Lapsed Blessing
By
Lisa Crum
Have you ever watched a clip of time-lapse photography as a flower
blooms, a sun rises and sets, or inhabitants of a city swarm, frenzied, like
busy ants in a colony? It takes only a few seconds to see the
painstaking, micro-movements of activity, when in fact the process took hours, or days, to
unfold. Sometimes the blessings of our lives occur so subtly, so gradually, that
we fail to acknowledge them until after-the-fact, when we are able to view the
whole picture from start to finish.
Some of you are experiencing an extremely slowed down pace right now, and it
is an uncomfortable, even painful switch from the life you’re used to.
A loved one has gotten ill (or maybe even yourself); a work adjustment such as a layoff
or forced retirement has shaken your long-term goals; an empty nest just got
full again; or God has perhaps led you into a place you thought would be teeming
with production…only instead of what you expected, now your steps have ground
down to a near halt. If you’re used to running a marathon, it’s just plain
difficult to wade knee-deep in the mud of transition. You may even find yourself
asking, "Lord, are You SURE this is what You ordered for me?"
Change is hard sometimes; it just is…especially for those of us who thrive on structure.
We’re so sure, when we’re slammed by any unexpected turn that throws
our schedule off, that it HAS to be an attack of the enemy to sabotage our
happiness, peace, and progress. Certainly, that is the case sometimes. But know
this: God is not at all taken by surprise at your circumstances; in fact, the
very event that threatens to delay your blessing’s arrival by years could well
be a Divine setup for a time-lapse blessing.
Don’t disdain the season you’re in!
I once made a statement that the Lord expects us to
bear fruit in every season of our lives; and in one sense, that may be
true. However, this morning as I meditated on the Lord’s goodness while
peering out at the changing, falling leaves, God brought that statement
back to my memory and corrected me. He spoke to me, so clearly, that
regeneration doesn’t occur without a dying off first.
Oh, the tree itself is not dying when the amber and crimson leaves break free
from their security and drift to the ground. Instead, the tree is undergoing a
necessary process in order that life may continue and that it
may produce fruit in another season. As you dig your heels in and
patience has her perfect work in you, be assured that you aren’t washed-up,
and you’re no has-been. God is not narrowing your
borders or putting you out to pasture! He has a far greater plan than you might
realize. Embrace the falling of the leaves and enjoy ambling through avenues of
transition…for though the crisp bite of winter’s chill seems to threaten to stay
forever, as surely as spring will come and buds will break forth again, you
too will burst with new growth in HIS INFINITELY PERFECT TIMING.
You’ll look back at your time-lapsed blessing, having come away with so much more
for having had to wait, and you’ll breathe the incredulous words,
"Wow, You knew what You were doing the whole time!"
Scripture of the Day:
"And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and
doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap,
if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint." (Galations 6:9 AMP)