The time between when the seed is sown and when it produces a harvest is a time of dying. So is the time between when a promise of God is given and when it manifests. This season is all about dying to self-effort, to natural provision, to even the hope of producing fruit on our own. Death of the flesh (even the “good” flesh) is necessary, so that the fruit which comes forth is purely Spirit… a 100-fold harvest!
Because the objective of this season is simply to die to the promise, things which, in other seasons, are good and even necessary, are not as important as just allowing death to have its way. They might even prolong the process, if they are viewed as a way of producing the promise. It is during these seasons that we learn to “labor to enter into His rest” – being led by His Spirit in what we do as well as what we don’t do.
While good works mixed with self-effort are useless at best, we must also remember that “dying seasons” are powerful times to trade, sowing precious seeds of faith, prayer and worship from a pure heart, asking for nothing in return.
It is during these times that we come to know the faithfulness of the One who is Faithful and True. And, just as Jesus walked THROUGH death and into resurrection and ascension, we also walk THROUGH our winter season and into our time of resurrection and manifestation of destiny. We emerge from our Wilderness of Waiting leaning upon our Beloved.
So, do not lose heart… The greater the destiny, the greater the resistance. And the greater the harvest, the longer the wait.
“And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.” (Galatians 5:9)
“Those who wept as they went out carrying the seed
will come back singing for joy,
as they bring in the harvest.” (Psalm 126:6)