ENCOURAGED in Every Season: Conclusion- Reflecting on God’s Faithfulness (Part 12 of 12)
In this ENCOURAGED in Every Season series, we learned ten life applications (using the acrostic ENCOURAGED) to know our Faithful God in every season of our lives and to grow us in our faith and relationship with Jesus as we joyfully embraced Him as our true Encourager and desired to proclaim His faithfulness to others.
As we wrap up our current series, I pray that this 12-part ENCOURAGED series was an encouragement to your heart and that your faith was deepened in His Word and in His Truth, giving you a hope and peace found only in Christ. I pray that we both are learning how to embrace whatever season we are presently in our lives, bringing glory to Him.
May we reflect on God’s faithfulness in our past season as we apply what we have learned into this new season. May we look for practical ways to intentionally implement these truths into our everyday moments of our lives.
I pray that we will be ENCOURAGED as we reflect and remember all we have learned together:
- Encourage Others as You are Encouraged by Jesus
- Nestle in Close to Jesus, Embracing this Season of Brokenness
- Chosen and Called by Jesus’ Invitation
- Obey and Trust, Even in the Middle of the Storm
- Unwavering Faith in a Season of Waiting
- Rooted in Christ’s love, Fully Known and Truly Loved
- Abide in Christ, Being Present with Jesus in Everyday Moments
- God’s Gift of Grace
- Expectant Hope in a Season of Wonder
- Devote this Season to God’s Glory, Deepening and Growing in your Faith in Christ
In our present season, we can look back at some of the evident results of our past seasons in our lives that we discussed in the ENCOURAGED in Every Season: Introduction overview.
- Seasons grow us, profit us, benefit us, and challenge us.
- Seasons give us new opportunities to strengthen our faith and trust in the Lord.
- Seasons teach us new lessons which we can learn from and then share, impacting the lives of those around us.
- Seasons train us up and show us how to comfort, emphasize, and extend compassion to others in their seasons of suffering and adversity.
- Seasons test us by stretching us beyond our comfort levels.
- Seasons produce fruit within our character, revealing the true motives of our hearts and our own blind spots.
- Seasons help us to glean newly-revealed truths, as there is always something new to be learned.
- Seasons realign our priorities, bringing order back into our lives, even amidst the chaos of everyday moments.
- Seasons gift us with a newly-gained perspective.
- Seasons serve as reminders of God’s sovereignty, affirming—beyond a shadow of a doubt—His complete control of our lives.
- Ultimately, seasons reveal a different attribute of God’s character to us. In each new season, God desires to show Himself to us in a new way. He is either drawing us to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ or deepening our secure, grace-filled relationship with Him. Each season reminds us of our sole purpose in life—glorifying God in every season, situation, and relationship.
Reflection questions:
- Which of the results listed above did you see present in your past season?
- How have you seen real heart change evident in your past season?
- How has God revealed Himself to you in this past season?
- In what ways is He revealing Himself to you in this new present season?
- In what specific way was your heart encouraged during this past season?
- What new facet of your own heart did God reveal to you?
- What challenges did you face in your past season?
- What growth did you gain in your past season?
- What word describes your past season?
- What word would you desire to describe your new season?
- What did you learn that you can take and apply in this new season?
- Where does life find you presently in this new season?
- How did God reveal His faithfulness and His character to you in this past season?
As you courageously and fearlessly take a step of faith into this new season, what did you glean from your past season that you can apply in this present season?
As we have learned, each season is a gift, and the choice is ours for embracing and redeeming the time. God’s faithfulness is our firm foundation for every season. Will we trust God or trust in ourselves in this new season?
Seek to quiet your heart this season as you reflect on what you have learned and what you want to implement this season. Being still and knowing that He is God is something we can all implement into our new season. May we believe His Truths written from His heart to ours in His Word and live out our true calling this season.
“The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made.” Psalm 145:13
“May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through…The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23,24
