Seasons

You and I simply never know for sure what is coming next, but that is why preparation as a Christian is so important. Think about what in your life has worked according to your plan? You could not have written out yourself into your present situation, where you currently are today, with all that is going on in your life, 10 years ago, let alone 1 year ago, a month ago. Last week did not go according to your plan. Today did not, or probably will not, go according to your plan. Our life is not under our plan, no matter how many to-do lists or organizational tools we use to try to get our life together. Our life is under the wise and sovereign hand of God. Daniel 4.35 says, “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed (regarded) as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” No matter how much we plan, there will be the unexpected, but dealing with the unexpected does not mean that we must be unprepared. Look at Proverbs 6.6-8 ” ⁶Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: ⁷ Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, ⁸ Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” If God made the ant, one of the smallest insects on earth to prepare for the changes of seasons, then how much more should we, who are also His creation, but made after His likeness, not also to prepare for the seasons that we face.

Ecclesiastes 3.1-13 says: “¹ To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: ² A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; ³ A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; ⁴ A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; ⁵ A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ⁶ A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; ⁷ A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; ⁸ A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. ⁹ What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? ¹⁰ I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. ¹¹ He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. ¹² I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. ¹³ And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.”

More than 65 verses in Scripture refer to seasons. There are many examples of people written down in the Bible: Enoch, Rahab, Ruth, Paul, Abraham, Jacob, David, Joseph and Moses, the list can go on, but each of these, and the others not named, but who are recorded for the ages are there for us to learn from. Each of them having experienced seasons throughout most of their lives where things weren’t simple, but instead their life was a life of processes, trials, growth and seasons. Seasons are God’s measurement of the stages of life. While some may prefer a particular one over another, winter, spring, summer and fall each have their purpose. Each season provides what the earth needs at a particular time, while preparing the earth for the next season to come. We could not endure the rain of spring, stay in heat of summer for too long, work the harvest of fall and we would not stay in cold of winter forever! Some seasons seem to drag on a lot longer than others, while some seem to fly by and some require waiting, instant gratification is not a part of harvesting. You labor, planting seeds, and then as the months go by, you water and wait and watch for the fruits of your labor to appear. Your little seeds to grow and transform into a life-giving bounty. Some seeds must endure through the bleakness of winter, existing in the cold and dark to emerge, thriving in spring as the snow melts away. While some trees and plants must be pruned, cut back and striped of all that once made them beautiful, to become healthier, more fruitful and beautiful in the future. Seasons can be challenging, unbearable, inconvenient, messy, glorious, blessed and beautiful all at the same time. Much is the same with life.  

Whether it is comfortable or not, joyous, or not, painful or pleasant, certain or unknown, one thing is certain, we need what God has for us in every season – there is a purpose to each season He places us in, whether we like it or see it! Each, if not most, of us are in different stages of life. And even if we’re not, each of our lives will not look the same. We are each unique individuals and while our seasons might be similar, each of our circumstances are not the same. However, God doesn’t expect us to be in a season that He has not called us to. So, let’s purpose to stop comparing our season to someone else’s season of life. Instead of looking ahead and around us, let’s focus our eyes above to One who brought us to this point in our life for a reason. Let’s look to the Bible for guidance in looking above, search the Scriptures to find people who experienced similar season like you. Then, let us ask God to use and equip us for exactly where we are today, helping us see the beauty in our mundane and the importance of where He’s placed us, while preparing, planting, sowing, and repeating the cycle as we prepare yet again for the future seasons ahead of us that we will face! Let Proverbs 2.13 be a comfort to you, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” As a Christian, take comfort and have hope that God working in you, and He will work all things for His good pleasure and for His good, so we know that things will turn out alright in the end. We know this because of, Romans 8.28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

There are seasons of joy and sadness, seasons of hardness, where a lot of effort and patience was needed and others where it was a necessity to wait for a harvest, seasons of uncertainty, lack and plenty. Yet, as Christians, God brings those seasons to us and works in us through those seasons, lovingly, graciously, mercifully, and sometimes painfully, through each one. Daniel 2.21 says, “And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:  Seasons change in the blink of an eye when you look at a lifetime. So, while it’s great to dream God-sized dreams, let’s not forget to purpose to thrive in the season we are in and prepare for the seasons yet to come. Are you in the season of spring, summer, fall or winter? Whatever season we find ourselves in let’s remember to embrace the season God has us in right now and don’t let it go to waste, there’s work to be done. In order to embrace and not waste, we need to seek Him in our Bible reading, prayer life, worship, fellowship, and frequently remind our wandering heart who our God is and who we belong to. I hope and pray that through each season we grow into the woman or man God wants each of us to be.

Lamentations 3.21-33:  ²¹This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. ²² It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. ²³ They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. ²⁴ The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. ²⁵ The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.²⁶ It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. ²⁷ It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. ²⁸ He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. ²⁹ He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. ³⁰ He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.³¹ For the Lord will not cast off for ever: ³² But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. ³³ For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.

³¹ For the Lord will not cast off for ever ³² But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. ³³ For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.

³² But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. ³³ For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.