June 4, 2026 – Seasons
Days – “Looking unto Jesus” (Heb. xii. 2). Simpson reminds us that, “There must be a constant looking unto Jesus, or, as the German Bible gives it, an off-looking upon Jesus; that is, looking off from the evil, refusing to see it, not letting the mind dwell upon it for a second. We should have mental eyelashes as well as physical ones, which can be used like shields, and let no evil thing in…. We cannot look upon evil without being defiled…. There is no help for it but in the resolute, steady, inner view of Christ.”
Prevail #155 – Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” From his hospital bed, Larson’s brother-in-law said, “I’m not afraid of death. I’m afraid of dying.” She shares, “I didn’t have the heart to tell him he was dying, and doing so, so very gracefully. Though we believed God still performs miracles today, we sensed this was Donny’s time to pass from this life to the next. God decides and determines the seasons. It’s ours to discern those seasons. There’s a time to fight with everything in you, and a time to let go and let God…. Here’s what’s true: Obedience to God will always strengthen your soul and sturdy your stance…. You can’t rush through a season that God intends for you to glean from…. Every season is bursting with eternal possibility.”
Before closing the Prevail book, I read the prayer at the end of the devotion: “Father, You are good and Your ways are higher than mine. Show me what You’re up to in this season. Help me to find You here. Amen.” As I put the book away and reached for the next one, I asked God to show me how to contribute to our income rather than just continue to draw on it. After a short career and odd jobs through the years, it was a blessing to be home and available to my family and friends, serving them and making memories; but I do wonder at times if I should be doing more to provide for our current living and future retirement.
Then, I opened Power to today’s title “The Lord Our Provider” and was immediately reminded of how He has continued to provide for me all through my life and that I again need to profess my trust in His ways and His leadings and keep doing what I’m doing until He leads me to something else. I keep feeling what I think is a prompting from Him that this blog is my “job” right now. Writing fuels me; and growing closer to Him as I write will help me better discern His what He’s wanting for me.
Joyce starts with Psalm 34:10, “The young lions…none of them shall lack any beneficial thing” and points out that, “It is important to develop what I call an ‘abundant mind-set’ – one that believes God will always provide what we need in every situation. [and in every season no matter what we are facing] …There is nothing we need that He is not able and willing to provide. He loves us and wants to take care of us. When we love Him and do our best to progressively learn and obey His ways, He will make sure our needs are met. In fact, there is no one He would rather share His blessings with than His children.” My earthly father’s (and mother’s) sweet and generous care toward my brother, my sister, and me has helped me, throughout my life, better understand and trust how our heavenly Father thinks about and provides for His children.
JC – “Welcome challenging times as opportunities to trust Me…. When the path before you is dotted with difficulties, beware of measuring your strength against those challenges…. The way to walk through demanding days is to grip My hand tightly and stay in close communication with Me…. I can keep you in perfect Peace as you stay close to Me.” See James 1:2, Philippians 4:13, and Isaiah 26:3.
Streams – Exodus 14;21 – “All that night the Lord drove the sea back.” Cowman draws from C. H. P.* in order to offer more meaning, “In this verse, there is a comforting message showing how God works during darkness. The real work of God for the children of Israel did not happen when they awoke that morning to find they could cross the Red Sea, but it occurred ‘all that night.’ …God works through the night until the morning light dawns. You may not see it yet, but through the night of your life, as you trust Him, He works.”
Utmost – Hebrews 13:5 – “For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” I love what Chambers points out about our expectations, “…Sometimes it is not difficulty that makes me think God will forsake me, but drudgery…. We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing, that He is preparing and fitting us for some extraordinary thing by and by, but as we go on in grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, in the present minute. If we have God’s say-so behind us, the most amazing strength comes, and we learn to sing in the ordinary days and ways.” We don’t always have to be thinking God is planning some major thing ahead in our lives. Just leading us peacefully through our day to day lives is major!
JA – “I AM YOUR JOY! Let these words reverberate in your mind and sink into your innermost being. I – your Companion who will never leave you – am a boundless source of Joy…. You may not be rich by worldly standards, but My unfailing Love is priceless! This Love guarantees that you can find refuge in the shadow of My wings no matter what is happening. Also, it gives you access to My river of delights.”
JL – “Compassionate Savior, …You’ve been showing me that there is a time to keep pushing myself and there’s a time to stop working – and just rest. Even You, who have infinite energy, rested on the seventh day after completing Your work of creation…. As I’m relaxing with You, may Your Love soak into the depths of my being…. Help me to believe that You approve of me and You approve of rest…. In Your invigorating Name, Jesus, Amen.”
*C. H. P. – there is a reference in the back of the book for Charles (Henry) Parkhurst but Google reports that these initials often refer to Charles H. Spurgeon.
