 ‘Dove Cottage Garden’ photograph by Gill Ecclesiastes 3:1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. [Ecclesiastes 3:1, KJV] There is so much joy when a new baby arrives in a family, and along with the new arrival comes a new dynamic in the home, new responsibilities, sleepless nights, new routines, and joy, as well as exhaustion. Isaiah 40:11 tells us, ‘He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that have young’. The Lord promises to gently lead you as a parent, and He understands that it is not always easy to find time to read, worship or spend time with Him in this season as you once did before. Or what about sickness in the home, caring for an elderly relative or a monumental loss? These situations can make it difficult to spend time with the Lord as we did in a previous season. We can also experience guilt, shame, disappointment, hopelessness, grief, anger, hurt and broken dreams in some seasons. These can impact our walk with the Lord or our desire to spend time with Him, and yet it is Him we need more than ever. In all these different seasons, there is an unshakeable truth to hold on to. HE understands and still loves us, even in the dry, difficult seasons AND He wants to meet with us in that place! But what do we do about it? How do we maintain fellowship with our heavenly Daddy regardless of the season? In the natural, we all need to eat to keep up our strength no matter what season we are in, even if it is just a snack on the way to pick up the kids or a sandwich in one hand and a nursing baby in the other. It might be eating something mild when we have an upset tummy or needing a drip if ill in hospital or catching a bite in between spoon feeding a young child or ill relative. At other times we can feast on a tasty three course menu and take time to enjoy and savour each bite. The principle is the same regarding spiritual food in the different seasons. Sometimes we need a spiritual ’drip’, where we rest and listen to gentle teaching or worship, even if illness means we can’t read or study ourselves. Other times we can feast on God’s word and spend copious amounts of time in prayer and worship. I remember one season in my own life of being so ill that even to watch or read something caused my eyes to sting, and this went on for several years. There was also a limit on how much I could listen to, as my concentration was so poor. In that season, chatting to the Lord in my thoughts, sharing my frustrations, pouring out my tears, often in silence, was the height of my communication with Him. And do you know what, He met me right there, where I was at! And He will meet you right there, where you are at. Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for meeting me right where I am at. Thank You that You understand and do not condemn me when I struggle in certain seasons. Help me to focus my thoughts on You and share my heart with You, regardless of the season. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Today's Writer : Gilly Mathiesen Gilly has a heart to see broken lives healed. She got involved in Christian ministry at a young age, working as a missionary for some years, as well as teaching at a Christian school. She has been involved with Ellel Ministries for the past 10 years and trained and worked on the team in Northern Ireland before moving to Denmark in 2016. She and her husband Steen have been pioneering an Ellel work there since early 2018. They long to see people healed and set free to be all that God has designed them to be. Devotion Copyright ELLEL MINISTRIES 2021 Reproduced with permission. Isaiah called his people to exercise unshaken faith in God and in His deliverance, of which there seemed no likelihood. This profound truth runs all through God’s Word. It is not faith when you trust in what you see; faith is trusting in what you don’t see, hanging in to the God whose character you know though meantime there is no evidence that He is at work on your behalf. [from ‘Studies In Isaiah’] 
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