Tag: overcome

Barefoot Devotions

Blooming In Off Seasons

Hannah B.

This winter season has been unusual to say the least.  I have heard stories of flowers blooming this month because of the much warmer temperatures that are not expected in a cold January.   It’s supposed to be snowing, frigid cold, and signs of plant life are supposed to be anything but blooming.  Expectations for winter seasons are already set for us.  When things happen out of season, we tend to get confused, scratch our head, and ask, “why?” We often get stuck on thinking it’s not supposed to be this way.

Perhaps there is a lesson we can learn from the blooming flower in the off season.  Naturally, we think the flowers are confused because this is happening against the season.  The flowers did not question the season they were in, but they bloomed as they were created to.  They know the conditions needed to produce blooms and they spring forth into action.

Like the flower blooming in the off season, we may find ourselves in seasons we do not understand but we must find a way to spring forth into action.

The Word of Truth is needed in a believer’s life to produce fruitfulness, steadfastness, and new life.   When we are in relationship with God by engaging in His word, prayer, fasting, and worship we are then in right balance with the creator.  When the word is implanted in us, it is deeply woven in every part of us.   We won’t be able to stop the growth and we will want to live a life pure and undefiled.  This kind of life leads us to be doers and hearers of The Word as James instructs Christians to be. 

James teaches us that every believer will experience trials in life, but trials are a blessing.  They are opportunities for growth and to see the Father of Lights who created the light that rule the days and seasons.  His nature is unchanging, and His promises are secure.  Through creation, we can see exactly how faithful and unchanging God is.   Therefore, it is so important as believers to be deeply rooted in Christ so that when these off seasons do come, we will not be swayed but we will spring into action as we were created to.  Off seasons are opportunities to truly learn where our faith stands when resources have dried up, time is against us, and there isn’t any light at the end of the tunnel.   These seasons are where we meet opposition, lack, frustration, and maybe even wonder if we had faith at all?

But we were created for this.

It’s the place where we find out who we truly are, what our character is made of, and the condition of our heart.  In this place, we see God, place our trust in Him, and surrender. 

We must find a way to stay focused on God and our relationship with Him in every season of our journey so that when these off seasons do come, we will not find ourselves stuck or wavering.

 God is at work in all of our seasons, spiritual growth is a process and growth happens most in the seasons that seem out of balance. 

He is there and we can trust that He has a great purpose.

Qualities Needed In Off Seasons

Be swift to hear

Slow to speak

Slow to wrath

Be a doer of The Word

Read James 1 here:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1&version=NIV

With all of my love and encouragement,

Hannah B.

Barefoot Devotions, The How To Series

How To Overcome Unbelief

Hannah B.

If unbelief is not counteracted with the promises of God and His word,  it is easy to fall prey to the enemy’s lies.  It begins with a simple thought of, “oh, just this once” or “it’s not really that bad, is it?” Not only does unbelief creep in through sin, but it can also find a way into your heart and mind but causing you to doubt God’s love and promises for your life.  Before we even know it, we have entered a downward spiral that leads to a hardened heart turned away from God.  If you let the little sins and thoughts in,  slowly they will morph into a wall of hardened responses, thoughts, and perspective.  How great of a God do we serve that He loves us unconditionally and His grace is sufficient for us? The most awesome God!  We must keep our unbelief in check so that we may live our lives to the fullness Christ intends. The Bible gives us this warning about the dangers of sin and unbelief:

Hebrews 3:19 NIV | Warning Against Unbelief

  So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice,  do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ So I declared on oath in my anger,  ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ” See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.  We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.  As has just been said:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts
    as you did in the rebellion.”[b

 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?   And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness?  And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?  So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

Steps to preventing an unbelieving heart:

  • Fellowship with other believers 
  • Talk about your mutual faith daily. 
  • Be aware of the deceitfulness of sin. 
  • Encourage others with love and concern. 

Personal Reflection: 

How are you going astray in your walk with Christ? 

In what areas of your heart do you feel like God is asking for a complete surrender?

How can you make better steps to stay committed to your faith? 

Dear Heavenly Father, 

I come to you seeking forgiveness, willing to turn from sins, and follow You wholeheartedly.  Make known any areas in my life that I have allowed anything that is not of you into my heart.  As you reveal them, give me the grace to follow through in obedience of your will for my life.  Equip me with discernment to know when seed of unbelief are being planted and pluck them from my heart. 

In Jesus’ Name, I pray! Amen!

Be encouraged in your faith! 

Hannah B.