Seasonal.
As Isaiah proclaims the Lord's judgment on Ephraim, he pauses for a moment to reveal something important about the character of God.
"Give ear and hear my voice, Listen and hear my speech. Does the plowman keep plowing all day to sow? Does he keep turning his soil and breaking the clods? When he has leveled its surface, Does he not sow the black cummin And scatter the cummin, Plant the wheat in rows, The barley in the appointed place, And the spelt in its place? For He instructs him in right judgment, His God teaches him. For the black cummin is not threshed with a threshing sledge, Nor is a cartwheel rolled over the cummin; But the black cummin is beaten out with a stick, And the cummin with a rod. Bread flour must be ground; Therefore he does not thresh it forever, Break it with his cartwheel, Or crush it with his horsemen. This also comes from the Lord of hosts, Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance." Isaiah 28:23-29
Just as a farmer knows when to plow, when to sow, and when to thresh, the Lord knows exactly what is needed in every season of our lives. He does not deal with us harshly forever, nor does He allow difficulties without purpose. His counsel is perfect, and His guidance is good.
We must remember that God sees from an eternal perspective, while we often see only what is right in front of us. Our finite minds cannot fully comprehend an infinite God, but we can trust His heart even when we do not understand His ways.
When difficulties arise, our response should always be to turn to the Lord. It may be a season of testing, or it may be loving correction, but either way God is drawing our attention back to Himself.
So where is your focus today?
-To Know Jesus. To Live on Mission.