Seasons
Hey Nations I have no apology for my delay in posting , but maybe this post will shed some light so flow with me okay.
“Seasons “, we know them as spring, summer, fall , winter . Where I come from (the islands) , we have dry season or rainy season . Today I want to speak particularly to the dry seasons. Like Ezekiel and the dry bones dry, like Elisha calling forth drought dry , like the children of Israel walking around the mountain for 38 years and being in the wilderness for 40 years dry . Okay yes I’m dramatic but you get the point. When all you experience is hurt , pain , suffering and the “happy” times are few and in between.
I don’t know what those seasons look like for you but for me it resembles David in the cave of Adullam. For those who don’t know the story , here is a quick snippet, the modernized version lol.
This episode takes place after David has killed Goliath with just a sling and a stone in the adjacent Elah Valley. In the aftermath of the battle, David becomes a folk hero with a multitude of fans on Facebook as adoring women chant, "Saul killed his thousands, but David killed tens of thousands." Yeah and remember David was handsome to, so he maybe had like a million followers , anyway moving along .Saul vows vengeance and David becomes a man on the run. In fact, he is Number 1 on the Most Wanted list of the kingdom of Israel. In the lowlands of the Judean hills, Adullam is on the margins of both Saul's kingdom and the enemy Philistine territory. It becomes an ideal center for organizing and recruiting the distressed, discontented and displaced, people ,on the margins of society.
David takes refuge in this cave . It’s a hidden place , a dark place , a place where I am sure he does not know what to do next . How do I know ?, look at the psalms he wrote from this place . This story is filled with all the elements needed for an excellent drama, almost better than Game of Thrones lol . It is also a passage that describes David in the darkest hours of his life. I do not think David has ever been so overwhelmed by sorrow and suffering and grief as he is here. As I looked at how God dealt with David in such times, for we have all known in some measure the sorrow and sadness David experiences here. It reminded me that if there is deliverance and hope for David in these dark hours, then there is hope for us as well when we pass through the “valley of the shadow of death.”
Like David I find myself crying out to God for deliverance and to make my latter days happier than my former days . One of the things that I went through recently was the pain of loosing my grandmother . I am not sure what the relationship with your grandmother looks like but listen my grandmother and I , we were thick as thieves . She was my second mother , she raised me basically all my life till two years ago when I moved to the US . That didn’t affect our relationship because I would speak to her literally almost every single night recounting my days activity’s and telling her all that was happening in “America” . She would always say Apryl girl you brave yes , I don’t know how you making out across there . It is this tenderness of our relationship that caused us to never really share when things were going bad . I was scared to tell her if I was feeling alone or afraid because I know it would cause her to worry and even when she was feeling sick or just having a rough day before she came on the phone with me she would ensure I knew she was good . We often got the real message of how each other was going from my mum . We cared deeply for each other’s heart and I know I will never know another love like my granny’s. So all of this took place in the month of April , my birthday month as well as her’s and I would be lying saints if I told you I smiled through it and I was good during that period or even now.
Life has been hitting me with some good blows and I felt like that was just the last straw . But if you are like me - I make myself very busy so that I won’t have to deal with the onslaught of life’s pain . The reality is , if you get too quiet you realize exactly how much life really hurts and that my friend is it’s own pain .
So I am not speaking to you today from a place where I have already overcome , nah not this time .... today I am still in that cave , like David writing songs and saying hymns and wondering why in the world does it feel like God has forgotten about me . You know and believe the promises of God but like the children of Israel , Cannan the promise land is right there but here I am still walking around this dang old mountain .... going in a cycle of pain and anger !
This blog today is one of encouragement and one that is from my heart to yours to tell you don’t give up! I know you have probably cried more tears than you bargained for in 2019 and you feel alone , God knows I sure have . You go to bed tired and wake up tired - this is my reality and you don’t know your next move .
The story of David teaches us to consider the transformation of David from lonely shepherd and sweet singer of lullabies in this cave to fearless warrior and brazen Mafia-style chieftain to the beloved anointed of the Almighty whose descendent would be destined to redeem the world.
That cave experience was a necessary part of his story and I believe mines as-well and so is yours .
Destiny is about to be released over our lives but we have to hold on!!
Y’all many days I still get angry and want to curse God out ( my honest truth) , especially when you have been faithful and steadfast but pain continues to be your portion
This is when you really don’t give up because his word says his strength is made perfect in our weakness.
So let’s pray that this strength touches us in our innermost beings today . Pray with me Nations
“ Dear Heavenly Father , I know you love me and care for me and you promised in your word that All things will work together for good for those that love you and are called according to your purpose so God I pray for a renewed perspective in this cave experience . To every dry area of our lives we call forth the life of God and we prophesy to these dry bones and we say live!!! God we cry out for your strength , many of us are so weary even praying and trusting is tiring and God we need your supernatural strength to empower us and equip us to keep going . Thankyou for wrapping someone in your arms today and reminding them, it is in you that we find rest . God we love you inspite of all that we go through and we thank you that our best days are still in front of us and that this is not the end . We hold on to your every word today and we say have your way in us and we praise you in advance for the victory and for the mighty sons and daughters of God that will emerge from their caves in Jesus name I pray” amen.
I love you Nations and look out for a new post every Monday☺️
