Have you ever experienced tough seasons in your life? Well I have and I absolutely hate them! They are the worst. Yet, thankfully God has taught me something about tough seasons that makes my journey through the tough times much more bearable.
In Ecclesiastes 3 the Bible tells us that for everything in life there is a season. Some of the seasons are good and some of them are not so good. So the big question is why does God allow us or even in some cases cause us to go through the not so good seasons?
The King’s Tough Season
In Daniel 4, the story is told of a king who went through a tougher than tough season. The king was Nebuchadnezzar and his tough season occurred because he had a problem, he was prideful. God had blessed him with so much and he foolishly began to take the glory that belonged to God for himself. Wrong move! So one day while Nebuchadnezzar is walking through his palace he says, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?” Daniel 4:30
Yikes! What a bold statement! As a matter of fact it was this statement that caused God to take drastic measures to get through to this prideful king. The Bible says that in that same hour that God put Nebuchadnezzar through a tough season. His kingdom that he was so proud of was taken from him. His intelligence which he believed was responsible for his success was taken from him, and he was driven from society to live with the animals in the field eating grass like an ox. The Bible even goes as far to say that his hair grew like eagles feathers and his nails like birds claws. Everything that Nebuchadnezzar was prideful about was taken from him.
Talk about a tough season! It was a long seven year season but it was still only a season. Yet, during that tough time God was able to teach Nebuchadnezzar the importance of humility. God loved him so much that he would do whatever it took to get this king on the right track. And guess what? It worked! After his tough seven year season Nebuchadnezzar offered God a humble and far overdue praise. God’s methods worked!
Restoration Is Coming
But that’s not the end of the story. God restored everything back to Nebuchadnezzar, his kingdom, his riches, his sanity, his counsellors and nobles, and the respect of his people. Yet that’s not all! The Bible says that excellent majesty was added to him (Daniel 4:36), meaning God gave him more than he had before. What a good God! Nebuchadnezzar did not deserve more, he did not ask for more, but his loving heavenly father saw fit to give him more!
God is awesome! He is a good God, and sometimes out of the heart of His goodness he has to put us through tough seasons so that we can learn valuable lessons that will position us to receive His Best. So be encouraged and learn whatever lessons God wants you to learn in your season. Also, never forget that Nebuchadnezzar’s post season was greater than his preseason. Hallelujah!
So what are your thoughts on this? Let me know by leaving a comment below.
Thanks for reminder that nothing that we possess comes from our strength but it is God who gives strength. Redemption, a gift God God gives to us, is our most valuable possession .Lord please help me to be obedient to you whatever the season maybe.
God bless.
Stay encouraged Sandra. 🙂
This post is so relevant to me right now Samona. I live in the island of Saint Lucia and have been going through my tough season, from April 2016. Made the fateful decision to leave my corporate management job, fully convinced that I was headed to Canada via the Temporary Skilled Workers program, as I felt the call of ministry on my life, and saw this as a platform to fulfill that calling. Needless to say, I took a leap of faith and tendered my resignation prior to having confirmation in hand, of what I believed to be my imminent migration. It turns out I had in fact fallen prey to a fraudulent scheme perpetrated by Jamaican nationals. I ended up losing my source of income, apartment, vehicle and left with accumulating loan and credit card debt. At that time, I was also in the process of completing my MBA, an aspiration that I since had to place on the back burner, owing to lack of finances. To this date, despite attending a total of 7 interviews(5 in person and 2 online), I have been yet to secure a job offer. Everything I attempted to get out of this situation, has failed, including trying to get into school in Canada, as well as the US. I recognize that my failure to secure employment is because I am unwilling to compromise my faith re Sabbath observance.
This has definitely been the most painful, life altering season of my life as I came to the realization that the Lord orchestrated this trial, for my purification and transformation. Though my intentions were noble, I was nowhere remotely close to being prepared to serve in the Lord’s vineyard. It slowly occurred to me that all along, I had been a Laodicean Christian. Samona, while I thought I was rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing, the Lord revealed that in reality, I was poor, wretched, blind, miserable and naked. My sister, this revelation was ugly. Nevertheless I praise our loving Heavenly Father for the Refiners Fire. It is because of His incredible and unconditional love for us, that He permits the flames of affliction to assail us, as every defect of character must be removed, or we can never enter His kingdom. The sad reality is that majority of professed Christians are precisely where I was two years ago and like I, have absolutely no inkling of the true nature of their spiritual condition. My heart is burdened because of this but I know the wheat and tares must continue together until the harvest. And so, I continue to prayerfully seek the Lord and wait this season out. I know our God is able and He will bring me through in His own time and in His own way. My apologies for this lengthy comment! God Bless!
Surita, you are in my prayers. This life is tough sometimes but I’m so glad you are honoring God with your attitude while you’re going through your season. Can’t wait to hear how God turns your situation completely around and blesses you beyond measure!
Thank you for sharing! I really needed that! I am preparing to make some major life changes as soon as the next few months…retirement and possibly relocation…alone! Keep me lifted in prayer as I journey on with God’s direction!
Mary I will keep you lifted up. The best part about it is, as long as God is leading you can’t go wrong!
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This post is so relevant to me right now Samona. I live in the island of Saint Lucia and have been going through my tough season, from April 2016. Made the fateful decision to leave my corporate management job, fully convinced that I was headed to Canada via the Temporary Skilled Workers program, as I felt the call of ministry on my life, and saw this as a platform to fulfill that calling. Needless to say, I took a leap of faith and tendered my resignation prior to having confirmation in hand, of what I believed to be my imminent migration. It turns out I had in fact fallen prey to a fraudulent scheme perpetrated by Jamaican nationals. I ended up losing my source of income, apartment, vehicle and left with accumulating loan and credit card debt. At that time, I was also in the process of completing my MBA, an aspiration that I since had to place on the back burner, owing to lack of finances. To this date, despite attending a total of 7 interviews(5 in person and 2 online), I have been yet to secure a job offer. Everything I attempted to get out of this situation, has failed, including trying to get into school in Canada, as well as the US. I recognize that my failure to secure employment is because I am unwilling to compromise my faith re Sabbath observance.
This has definitely been the most painful, life altering season of my life as I came to the realization that the Lord orchestrated this trial, for my purification and transformation. Though my intentions were noble, I was nowhere remotely close to being prepared to serve in the Lord’s vineyard. It slowly occurred to me that all along, I had been a Laodicean Christian. Samona, while I thought I was rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing, the Lord revealed that in reality, I was poor, wretched, blind, miserable and naked. My sister, this revelation was ugly. Nevertheless I praise our loving Heavenly Father for the Refiners Fire. It is because of His incredible and unconditional love for us, that He permits the flames of affliction to assail us, as every defect of character must be removed, or we can never enter His kingdom. The sad reality is that majority of professed Christians are precisely where I was two years ago and like I, have absolutely no inkling of the true nature of their spiritual condition. My heart is burdened because of this but I know the wheat and tares must continue together until the harvest. And so, I continue to prayerfully seek the Lord and wait this season out. I know our God is able and He will bring me through in His own time and in His own way. My apologies for this lengthy comment! God Bless!