My grandfather was a farmer, and he was very sensitive to certain times and seasons of the year. For example, he could recognize the least little sign that pointed to a coming change in the weather. One time Grandpa started telling everyone: "We're going to have an early spring this year." And although it was still cold outside, he and his workers went out into the fields to break up the dry ground to get it ready for planting seed.
Grandpa's neighbor didn't believe what he'd said. But when the weather changed suddenly, that neighbor hustled and bustled for two weeks trying to get his equipment ready. He finally did get his seed into the ground, but because he was so late getting started, he missed out on reaping a bumper crop that year!
Well, if you're not careful, the same thing can happen to you spiritually. You may be progressing along in your daily routine, not being as sensitive as you should be to the Holy Spirit's promptings. Then all of a sudden something happens—your situation changes—and you're not prepared! So what do you do?
If you're like some folks, you begin to scurry around, confessing the Word and grabbing hold of God's promises, trying to catch up on lost time. But how much better off you would be if you were already prepared for the change—if you were instant in season and out of season!
Now certainly you can expect to enjoy refreshing times in the Presence of the Lord if you're obeying the Word and doing what God tells you to do (Acts 3:19). But times of refreshing are not something you dwell in continually. They're seasonal.
Thank God for seasons of refreshing. But you just can't live for those times. You have to be prepared for other seasons too!
I know in my own personal life that some of the greatest trials and tribulations I've had to face came right after times of great refreshing.
If you remember, something similar happened to the prophet Elijah. His greatest season of despair came after a tremendous season of rejoicing. The people were holding him in high esteem because he'd just called down fire from Heaven and had the false prophets of Baal put to death.
But just a few hours later, Elijah's season changed, and Jezebel's pursuers were after his life. So Elijah took off, running scared like a whipped puppy. And he ended up sitting under a juniper tree, feeling helpless and despondent (1 Kings 18:21-40; 19:1-5).
That may describe your situation today. Maybe you were shouting the victory just two weeks ago, but now you're sitting under a "tree of despair" because your rent is due, your car is breaking down, there's no food in the pantry, and your paycheck is already spent!
Well, what are you going to do? Are you going to give in to despair? No! Get up, shake yourself out of your despondency, and act as if the Word is true, because it is! The same God who is with you in the times of refreshing is the God who will see you through every trial and tribulation!
It's easy to float along through life when you're "in season"—when all of your needs are met, and everything is going fine. The real challenge is keeping the victory when your season changes!
As long as you live, seasons will come and go. But God and His Word will never change. So just stay with God and His Word, and you'll have everything you need to stay prepared both in season and out of season!
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications