Seasons for Divine Purpose

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

After this opening statement, the writer of Ecclesiastes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit gives a list of seasons in life.

We are about to enter into a season of Thanksgiving. It is a time set aside by our country to remember the blessings that we have been given by God. We are to gather with family and friends and celebrate the love of Christ that we share with one another. A part of that celebration is a feast and a time of prayer where God is honored as Jehovah Jireh (God our Provider).

This year has been a challenging year for me spiritually and emotionally, but God has been so faithful. I now stand closer to Him, closer to my wife, closer to my children, closer to my friends, closer to the leaders of my church, and closer to the people of my church than ever before. I love them more than I did a year ago and find greater joy and appreciation for them. The year has brought seasons of sorrow and laughter and each has created memories that now give me hope and an assurance of God's will. My divine destiny is before me and although there is still so much more sanctifying work to be done in me through the power of the Gospel, I am confident that I am on the path of God's choosing for me and I am making progress toward the goal to win the prize for which Christ has called me heavenward.

For that and many other reasons, I thank God my Father in the name of His Son, Jesus, who redeemed me. I do this in the power of the Holy Spirit, who regenerated me and now abides in me allowing me to abide in my Father's love through the grace given me in Christ.

And so today I will play with my immediate family. Tomorrow and Friday I will give thanks with extended on family. And on Sunday I will gather with my church family and worship the God who saved us. In all things I will praise my God and seek His face and give Him thanks.


We gather together
to ask the Lord's blessing;
he chastens and hastens
his will to make known.
The wicked oppressing
now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to his name,
he forgets not his own.

Beside us to guide us,
our God with us joining,
ordaining, maintaining
his kingdom divine;
so from the beginning
the fight we were winning;
thou, Lord, wast at our side,
all glory be thine!

We all do extol thee,
thou leader triumphant,
and pray that thou still
our defender wilt be.
Let thy congregation
escape tribulation;
thy name be ever praised!
O Lord, make us free!