DEVOTIONAL: Everything Is Made Beautiful In Its Time

Good morning I was just going to share a quick Facebook or Instagram post but I wanted to share a few extra words of encouragement so here’s today’s devotional scripture:

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 & 11: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time...”

A flower doesn't start off blooming. It starts off as a seed that doesn't look like much. As it is watered and nurtured, eventually a small green stem begins to shoot out. Still doesn't look like much but eventually it becomes a tall green stem. It begins taking on shape and form, but it isn't quite finished. Eventually a colorful bulb develops at the top & at the right time those petals & leaves begin to unfold and the flower begins to blossom, full of beautiful colors and fragrance.
I’m starting to develop a bit of a green thumb and I’m learning the difference between Annuals and Perennials. An annual describes a plant that flowers, produces seed, and dies in one growing season or year. They tend to bloom from spring until autumn frost and most must be replanted yearly. Perennials describes a plant that lasts for more than two growing seasons or 2 years, either dying back after each season, as some do  or growing continuously, as some bushes do. Many small flowering plants that grow and bloom over the spring and summer, die back every autumn and winter, and then return in the spring from their rootstock.

Pretty interesting when you take this natural information and apply it to the spiritual. Just like flowers, our true beauty & growth doesn’t happen all at once. The first 8 verses of Ecclesiastes 3 tell us that the various areas of human life happen in seasons, as we just read in verses 1 & 2.  Like a flower, even a child’s development in its mother’s womb can't be rushed or somewhere along the way it will miss out on proper organ growth & key nutrients that it needs to fully develop along each season to survive. Even once the child has been born it relies on milk until the time stomach has developed a tolerance for more solid foods. This is the same in our walk with Christ. Everything has its time and it cannot be rushed if it is to prosper and bear the fruits of our labor.

If you find yourself impatient or frustrated, sit back and pray. Allow the Lord to show you what he is doing in this season of your life. Make sure that you are doing your part and make every effort to complete the development required in this timeframe. Don’t despise small beginnings [Zechariah 4:10], especially if you know that the Lord wants to use you to do great things for His glory.The Christian life takes much pruning, teaching, correcting, molding and it even takes a time of rest, but it will stand strong in its full maturity. This will benefit us when we come under the extreme elements & hardships of our faith so we don't wither and die off too soon.  Psalms 1:3 says that we will be like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit in its proper season and our leaves won’t wither; they will prosper in all they do.

Don’t wither and die before your time. Let the Lord fully bloom you that your faith and works emit the beautiful fragrance of God & allow his Spirit to draw others through you for Him to take root in their lives as well. Find enjoyment and learn what it is that you are there to learn so that you don’t miss vital development that makes us mature and whole in Christ.

Until next time, Be-you-tiful and let your current fragrance arise!  -- Nikki