“For everything there is a season.” (Ecc. 3:1) Solomon wrote this statement in the beginning of his discussion concerning time. As humans, all of us are creatures of habit. We like our biscuits cooked a certain way and we prefer our newspaper to be in its delegated place. Anything out of the ordinary and we complain and grumble. We are pitiful.
Life is filled with change. Time marches on, but it sure bends around a sharp curve at an unexpected moment. We are surprised by what each day or week may hold for us. Much of our life is spent by adjusting to constant changes and being unable to protect our favored circumstances of life. Like the calendar year, life has seasons. We each have our favorite season, but one thing is certain, we cannot control or change them. Each year has four seasons… that’s the deal.
Maybe the Lord set up the seasons to prepare us for something larger and more important. Maybe He desires to proactively inform us about the ebb and flow of life, the warp and woof of situations. Perhaps our desire to keep things exactly the same actually works against our own joy. We gain appreciation every time we experience a seasonal change, either for the one that is upon us, the one that just passed, or the one coming next.
The springtime of spiritual life is a time of growth and newness. We open up to the sights and smells of the ‘new thing’ that God is doing in our life. We are surrounded by beauty and fruitfulness, but yet it doesn’t last very long. Then comes the summer, when we experience the heat of trials and drought. Likewise, our spiritual life goes through this season, and it has a great purpose. In the drought, our roots grow deeper looking for the waters from the clear deep springs.
Then the fall season comes, and we experience the harvest and maturity of things planted in our life. We get the fulfillment of seeing and tasting the benefit of time well spent in a previous season. Then comes the winter, when the deep roots of summer hold us strong as the cold winds of more trials blast against us. We feel lonely and isolated, but it is a necessary time of pruning and preparing for the new growth of spring. And the cycle continues. Our spiritual life is in a constant change, and only the Lord can produce what is good from the various seasons.
Our life is constantly filled with the seasons of life. Which one are you in today? If it is a joyful season, give thanks to the Lord, but remember it will change soon. If it is the season of trial or pruning, take heart, spring is coming, and this too shall pass! Therefore, regardless of the season, be of good cheer. The Lord knows what we need, when we need it, and above all, He is there. If you are tired and desiring a change, be patient—There is a Season.
