There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1
Some start their spiritual quest with a sense of inquiry. Who is God? What is my purpose? Is the Bible true? How do I deal with my guilt and pain? It is a cycle of seeking. We have more questions than answers. We look for answers in the church and within our heart. We question individuals about their faith and we pray for faith. In our seeking the Holy Spirit draws us into a belief in Christ and we are converted. We find Jesus in our search for spiritual answers.
After our life changing and life giving salvation experience, we share the answers we have discovered with spiritual fervor. We have the solution to life’s greatest questions of sin, sorrow and death. We are able to say with confidence and gratitude, "Once I was spiritually blind, but now I can see my Savior." This cycle of discovery brings peace to our mind and security to our soul. Since our faith is fresh and intoxicating, we are we wise to balance our zeal with depth.
“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers” (Psalm 1:3).
A third spiritual cycle expresses doubts and questions. Like John the Baptist in prison we ask, "Is Jesus really the son of God?" We seriously question our salvation, "Did I really believe or only have an emotional experience?" This time of honest evaluation can draw us closer to Christ or cause us to drift away. We are vulnerable to the disappointment of unanswered prayer. A test is meant to grow our trust in Jesus. This phase of uncertainty invites reassurance of God’s reality.
Lastly, by God’s grace we graduate to the spiritual stage of healthy questions and answers. The more we mature in the faith, the more we realize the less we know. So, in a spirit of humility we seek to know and understand Jesus in oneness of heart. We inquire of the Lord to clarify how to apply His character to our behavior. We accept 100% the fundamentals of the faith, but we hunger to know the fullness of our heavenly Father’s love. Prayerful questions receive hopeful answers. In what cycle do you find yourself? Let God move you forward by faith in His loving process.
“I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing”(Ezekiel 34:26).
Prayer: Heavenly Father, lead me by Your Holy Spirit in Your seasons of spiritual growth.
After our life changing and life giving salvation experience, we share the answers we have discovered with spiritual fervor. We have the solution to life’s greatest questions of sin, sorrow and death. We are able to say with confidence and gratitude, "Once I was spiritually blind, but now I can see my Savior." This cycle of discovery brings peace to our mind and security to our soul. Since our faith is fresh and intoxicating, we are we wise to balance our zeal with depth.
“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers” (Psalm 1:3).
A third spiritual cycle expresses doubts and questions. Like John the Baptist in prison we ask, "Is Jesus really the son of God?" We seriously question our salvation, "Did I really believe or only have an emotional experience?" This time of honest evaluation can draw us closer to Christ or cause us to drift away. We are vulnerable to the disappointment of unanswered prayer. A test is meant to grow our trust in Jesus. This phase of uncertainty invites reassurance of God’s reality.
Lastly, by God’s grace we graduate to the spiritual stage of healthy questions and answers. The more we mature in the faith, the more we realize the less we know. So, in a spirit of humility we seek to know and understand Jesus in oneness of heart. We inquire of the Lord to clarify how to apply His character to our behavior. We accept 100% the fundamentals of the faith, but we hunger to know the fullness of our heavenly Father’s love. Prayerful questions receive hopeful answers. In what cycle do you find yourself? Let God move you forward by faith in His loving process.
“I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing”(Ezekiel 34:26).
Prayer: Heavenly Father, lead me by Your Holy Spirit in Your seasons of spiritual growth.
~Wisdom Hunters Devotional~
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