A New Season To Venture Out On Faith

"To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

Can you believe MEMORIAL DAY has come and gone already? And, yes, the official start of Summer is here! (Summer, officially, arrived at 6:51 a.m. EDT, on Saturday, June 21, 2014.) Just a few weeks ago, all of my Facebook friends know I was posting pictures of my snow covered deck. Today, sunshine splashes over that same deck, and the aroma of lemon, spices, and grilling fish wafts on the air. There's, definitely, been a shift in the atmosphere. It's a brand new season!

All the classic signs of summer are in the air. Overhead, I see the long, precise, V formation of honking geese flying north. Kids are outdoors, riding bikes up and down the street. The days are growing longer. People are heading to the beaches. Concerts in the park. Baseball. And joggers are everywhere! The undeniable signs of summer are all here.

And so seasons in our lives change, as well! Ecclesiastes tells us there is a time and a season for every purpose under heaven. One season ends, and another one begins. But how can you tell if it's a new season in your life? Do you know the precise date that you left childhood and entered adulthood? Middle age? How do you identify and measure the changing seasons in your life? 

Just as with the arrival of summer, God provides us signs, as well, when we're about to enter a new season in our lives. You begin to get that inkling, deep down in your spirit, that something is shifting. You may fell constrained, confined, closed in by the status quo. And, yes, there are times when the status quo can feel very safe and comfortable because we know it so well. But you know you need to change in order to stay fresh and to grow, otherwise, you begin to get stale, and stagnation begins to set in. That undeniable inkling, that hint, that still small voice in your spirit is a sign you're about to enter a new season!

As you sense God bringing you into your new season, don't be afraid. He'll hold your hand every step of the way. "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8. When you begin to sense that the status quo is not enough, you'll know your new season is near. When you begin to feel the need to spread your wings, you will know that your new season is at hand. You'll know that It's time to venture out on the water!

So, as you leave the winter of your discontent, embrace your new season of hope and great expectations. Pursue that dream God has placed in your heart. Write that book that's inside you. Be healthier, stronger, financially fitter. Step into your calling. It's time to step out on faith! Embrace your future. Remember, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11. It's a new season - your new season to venture out on faith!

Until next time,

Be Blessed!

Kenneth Lillard

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