Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – May 24, 2016
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1
The writer of Ecclesiastes follows the verse above with a list of seasons, or “times,” such as birth and death, weeping and laughing, and mourning and dancing. He even includes “a time to plant and a time to pluck what is planted.”
I don’t know about you, but I usually don’t enjoy plucking up anything that was planted by either me or God. First of all, it takes time, and second, it can be painful to pluck. You know what I mean. You have a relationship or friendship God is asking you to relinquish. Sure, He planted it in a past season of your life, and it served its purpose. But now He is asking you to uproot it because He wants to do something different. Or perhaps God is saying about your job, “Let it go. I want to uproot it. I’ve got a new assignment for you.” Oh, but we’re so slow to let go because it can be painful, inconvenient, and sometimes just plain hard work! But what do we forfeit if we insist on holding on to the old things that either we or God planted in old seasons?
“Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Luke 11:28 NASB).
When we refuse to let go, we forfeit the peace of knowing we are following Christ no matter what. We forfeit the joy we experience of being used by Him. Thankfully, we can rest assured of one thing: God never asks us to uproot anything in our lives without a reason and a plan. And He is faithful. He always asks because He wants to plant some kind of new seed to bring about a good change.
Are you afraid to pluck up something even though its season in your life is over? Yes, you can be sure moving into the unknown with God will never be comfortable, but it will always be right—and you’ll know you’re exactly where you need to be. I encourage you to get out your gardening gloves today and get to plucking if that’s what God is calling you to do!
“I know that whatever God does,
It shall be forever.
Nothing can be added to it,
And nothing taken from it.
God does it, that men should fear before Him” (Ecclesiastes 3:14 NKJV).
Prayer
Lord Jesus, please give me the courage to follow you by letting go of anything you ask me to. I want to do your will and do what you ask, even when it’s difficult. I know you have good stored up for me all the days of my life. Amen.Application
Is there something you need to uproot today? Talk with the Lord about it today.Related Reading
Luke 11:28; John 15:14; Romans 2:6Post/Tweet today
When we refuse to let go, we forfeit the peace of knowing we are following Christ no matter what. #WisdomHunters #timetoletgoWorship Resource
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Would this include marriages?
This was awesome just what I needed at a time like this one.
Amen for today’s Words of Wisdom. How appropriate it is for my life at this time. I’m always amazed at how the Holy Spirit of God speaks to me when I’m straining and stressing against a season of transition, or a relationship that I’ve been pressing to make into a friendship that’s not progressing as I had hoped. I hear You Father thru Your word and the heart of today’s wisdom. Thank you Words of Wisdom. Thank you Shana Schutte. In Jesus name. Amen
Dear Janette,
Thank you for reaching out to us after reading Shana’s devotional, “Is it Tine to Let Go?”. Please know that I passed along your kind and encouraging comments to Shana and I am sure she will be blessed by them. Thank you.
I agree with you completely when you said “I’m always amazed at how the Holy Spirit of God speaks to me when I’m straining and stressing against a season of transition…” AMAZED and SO THANKFUL!!!! Isn’t it overwhelming (and awesome) to think that HE loves us that much?!!
I have a feeling “Is It Time To Let Go?” may have spoken to many in our Wisdom Hunter’s family who are going through a time of transition or indecisiveness. Shana’s words “When we refuse to let go, we forfeit the peace of knowing we are following Christ no matter what. We forfeit the joy we experience of being used by Him” were a great reminder of the blessings to follow when we do let go. Boy, is it hard sometimes, though.
Thank you Janette. We are grateful for you and look forward to hearing from you again.
Believing and trusting,
Gwynne
“If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”
John 15: 10-11
Dear Trinisa,
Thank you for taking the time to respond to us after reading Shana’s devotional, “IS It Time To Let Go?” Please know that I passed along your kind words to Shana and I am sure she will be blessed by them. Thank you.
Don’t you just love it when God puts the words in front of you at the exact time you need to hear them? It never ceases to amaze me that HE is in the very details of our lives and guides and directs us as HE walks right beside us. Thank you Lord Jesus.
Trinisa (by the way, what a beautiful name), we are grateful for you and look forward to hearing from you again.
Blessings,
Gwynne
“Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in Him and He will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”
Psalm 37: 5-6
Dear Bob,
Thank you for reaching out to us with your thought provoking question after reading Shana’s devotional, “Is It Time To Let Go?”.
While I cannot speak directly for Shana, I feel I can safely say this does NOT include marriage. Again, let me say, I am not speaking for Shana directly and will be happy to pass your question along to her for her answer.
The reason I believe she would say no, this devotional does not include letting go of a marriage, is because the precious gift of marriage is something God invented. He created it for a man and a woman. “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:6
In “Is It Time To Let Go?”, Shana stated “When we refuse to let go, we forfeit the peace of knowing we are following Christ no matter what”. I do not think letting go of a marriage would be “following Christ no matter what”. Maybe, on the subject of marriage, the “letting go” would refer to the barriers or strongholds that are standing in the way of the marriage. Definitely something to pray about.
Thank you Bob, for raising a good question that allows us to dig deep into the meaning of “letting go”. I pray the Holy Spirit will give us all discernment and wisdom to clearly know what to “let go of”.
We are so thankful for you and look forward to hearing from you again.
A sister in Christ,
Gwynne
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.
Lamentations 3:22-24