They delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit in each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. Psalm 1:2-3, NLT
“Bearing fruit in each season.” We have a tendency to believe that however our life looks today, it will always look like this. But that’s not true; we have seasons of life. If we read this verse, we see that we can bear fruit in each season, but I don’t think this happens automatically. Just like in the plant world, we have to cultivate the soil, in order for our “leaves not to wither.” The verse says we do it by delighting in God’s word and meditating on it, believing it, standing firm on its truths. Writer Susie Larsen (“Your Beautiful Purpose”) calls this choosing the higher ground. Or, my husband calls it taking the high road. (The low road is doing what our flesh wants to do right then—emotionally reacting to the circumstances.)
Larsen says that believers who want to serve God in specific ways go through what she observes as four different seasons. These seasons teach us to stand on what we know to be true, regardless of what we feel to be true in the present moment. Here are the four seasons.
- Run – Time to take ground (times of favor and of stretching our faith)
- Rest – Time to pull back (times of refining and replenishing)
- Stand – Time to hold on (times of purifying and testing)
- Active Waiting – Time to keep moving (times of inward depth and forward movement)
We tend to move in and out of these seasons throughout our journey. She says you can be in more than one season at a time, as you have different areas of your life where God is working. It’s important to discern the season you are in so you can better handle what’s happening, and intentionally choose the high road, as you apply the Word of God to your particular season of life...so that you don’t grow weary, but also so you don’t give in to the temptations of the enemy.
Larsen goes on to say, “Whether God has put us in the land of opportunity with more tasks than time, or tucked away in a place of obscurity with little to do and where no one can find us, we must remember this: We’re never out of His care, never far away from His heart. In every season, if we trust Him, He’ll lead us beside still waters and to sacred spaced of replenishment and growth.”
*What season are you in right now? What would the “high road” look like for you?
Precious Lord, Pour out Your Holy Spirit on me, and fill me to overflowing with Your love and grace. I want You to find me faithful, bearing fruit, choosing the high road—no matter the season! I know that You will restore my soul as I rest in You in this place. I love You, Lord. Amen.
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