Hearing God

Most people struggle with hearing God for themselves, so this podcast will equip you with tools and practical examples so you can confidently hear God.

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Hearing God

Hearing God in a Spring Season of Growth and Busyness

August 31, 2025 • Gary & Jane Berry • Season 3 • Episode 90

New beginnings and fast growth, potential, promise and possibilities often characterise a spring season. A time of excitement and breakthrough, but it can also be a time of chaos and frantic activity, feeling pulled in numerous ways with limited time. Remaining connected to God is crucial in this time, but it may also be a time of discovering God in the new. Join us as we explore hearing God in the spring season of new opportunities and growth.

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Episode Description:

Episode Notes:

Introduction to a spring season:

· Each season has unique patterns and invites unique responses.

· Winter – a time of weathering, of hunkering down and existing, of daring to dream of warmer days.

· Spring - a time of new beginnings, of planting.

· During the summer, you are busy harvesting, but it is also warm and enjoyable, taking advantage of the tiny breaks.

· In autumn or fall, things fall away, and you tend to draw back. You finish the harvest and prepare for the winter.

· In our last episode, we explored the winter season, and today we are focusing on spring.

· Spring is about potential, promise, and possibilities. A time of excitement and breakthrough, a time of new beginnings. That can also come hand in hand with chaos and frantic activity, no time to spare.

First Principle: Recognise when you're in the spring season.

· Times of new beginnings and new life can be invigorating. You can anticipate the future, including the maturing and harvest in summer and even early autumn.

· Spring offers brand new opportunities and possibilities. It is a season of sowing, of planting, of encouraging the roots to go deeper. A period of great activity, but not much to show for it at the outset.

· In the springtime, you may feel invincible and fail to recognise your dependence on God. You may be excited about the possibilities, but take the time to understand how those opportunities align with God's purposes. The decisions you make in this season of promise will determine much for the other seasons.

· God may open doors of opportunity or call you to step into a new role or ministry.

· You're planting, but you can't see the fruits just yet. In this season, discouragement can become one of your biggest enemies. You've been working tirelessly and giving your all, and it seems like nothing is budging.

· This is another season where God is building your faith. He wants to show you how to trust Him. What better way to do it than when you can't see what's in front of you, but have to trust His every Word?

· Genesis 6-9 talks about Noah. It's thought to take 50-75 years to build the ark. Can you imagine!! In those years, he was sowing into God's vision.

· People may not have understood what he was doing. They may have mocked him. But he kept his eyes on God's instructions, continuing to get up each day and complete his tasks.

· A great encouragement for us to find courage, strength, resilience, and perseverance in God, as we remember that God's Word will never return void.

Second Principle: Remain connected with God.

· There can be chaos associated with this season, a sense of busyness. A time of "I don't have enough time to get everything done I need to do."

· This can be especially true in a season when you have babies and toddlers. Thirty-five years ago, a friend asked me, an immature minister's wife, for advice on how to maintain a consistent quiet time / devotional time while caring for a newborn baby and a toddler. I recommended a devotional that included a daily Bible verse, a paragraph of explanation, and a short prayer. Only 5 minutes. But it helped her stay connected to God throughout the week.

· Do what you have to do to remain connected with God. When Josh was born, I found that reading the Bible aloud while breastfeeding during the 2 am feed was comforting, connecting, and encouraging. Days were full on, Gary was overseas, and having a toddler as well, I used that overnight feeding time to avoid being tempted to switch on the TV and watch a cringy show, but instead to open the Word and read His Word over Josh.

· Sometimes, in this season, we need to be able to take a breath and recognise that everything doesn't depend on us. God is bigger than our circumstances. Psalm 95:4-5 "In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns, in the other hand grasps the high mountains. He made Ocean—he owns it! His hands sculpted Earth!"

· The whole world does not rest in your hands – it rests in God's hands. Pace yourself and your tasks. Breathe. Pray. Take a 5-10 minute break. Then carry on in your grind and press through with the strength God gives you. Rely on the Holy Spirit to lead and help you.

· Elijah in 1 Kings 18-19. Had a 'competition' between King Ahab and his 450 prophets of Baal and Elijah to determine whose God was more powerful. The 450 prophets cut up a bull and laid it over sticks and shouted and danced all day to Baal, but no fire to burn up the sacrifice. Elijah then had 12 jars of water poured over the wood to thoroughly soak it and called on God's name. Fire not only burned up the wood and the bull, but also the stones and the soil around it—a massive high for Elijah. Then King Ahab's wife, Jezebel, threatened to kill Elijah, and Elijah ran for his life. Sometimes the highs and lows throw us off emotionally and spiritually. Elijah was hiding out in a cave, and he found God in a quiet, gentle whisper, as recorded in 1 Kings 19:12.

· Remain connected with God, but also look for Him in the new.

Third Principle: Look for God in the new.

· God may very well be showing Himself to you in a new way. Remain alert. Don't rely on past connections with God, but be open to embracing new ways of relating with God.

· Little kids, homeschooling days – devotional time as a family. Over the evening meal. In the morning, with the music on, the kids and I would try to listen for God to speak to us during that time. Through the words of the music, through a whisper, through noticing something different, through the wonder. Kids are great at that age of experiencing awe and wonder, going for a walk and being in awe of God's creation, finding leaves, discovering a snail, or a new rock/pebble.

· Giving thanks. Psalm 100:4 "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise." The Message version states: Enter with the password: "Thank you!"

· Look at how you can cultivate gratitude and thankfulness.

· Sometimes we try to look for whiz-bang new methods that will ease our situation, and we can fall into the habit of chasing after something new that we believe may help or fix our situation. However, often it is the basics. Cultivate gratitude. Do the basics.

Summary:

1. Recognise when you're in a spring season.

2. Remain connected with God.

3. Look for God in the new.

Prophetic activation:

Turn your heart and thoughts to Father God and ask Him:

· "God, what are You wanting to do afresh/anew in my life?"

· "God, how will I know it's of You?"

Time Stamps:

[0:47] – Gary & Jane share how they have heard God this week.

[5:24] – Introduction to a spring season.

[6:27] – First principle: Recognise when you're in a spring season.