“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.”
The scenery on Earth changes in many locations several times throughout the year. Some countries have two seasons, some four, and some six. Beyond the weather, business owners sometimes refer to certain times of year as their “busy season” or “slow season”.
One thing is certain about seasons; they come and go. They change. They pass.
Something else that we know about seasons is that not all of them are pleasant. Some are harsh, some cause disasters, and some are frightening.
Thinking about the natural seasons around us, we can parallel them to some of the spiritual seasons we go through in life.
Some of our seasons are full of blessings and faith. Everything is going right, we’re excited about the things we see God doing all around us, and life feels great.
Other seasons feel calm, but dry. We feel as if we’re in a desert. Our spiritual thirst isn’t being quenched. We’re longing for a refreshing from the Lord.
And as much as we dread them, there are also seasons when we will feel as if life is cold and harsh; the times the trials stay too long and our faith struggles to focus on Jesus instead of the cold.
It’s comforting to know that when Jesus walked on Earth, He experienced the things that we too experience. We can’t forget when He prayed in the garden and knew that a horrid death was about to happen to Him, hoping it could pass Him by. Even so, He went to the cross.
We wish the Lord wouldn’t have had to suffer such a horrible crucifixion, that season of pain and suffering He went through. But it was because of that heartbreaking time that the most beautiful, incredible season of all was about to begin; it changed the world and the future of all generations to come!
As human beings, we do our best to live comfortably. We enjoy a life of ease. We wouldn’t choose to walk through any difficult period of time if the choice was ours. But, the choice isn’t always ours. When another difficult season comes into our lives, we must continue to trust in the plan of God, and that He is moving in our lives. Even in the trial. Many times we learn great lessons and grow during those dark seasons in ways that we don’t in the good times. Lessons of faith, trust, reliance on God and more help our spiritual growth when life is out of control.
Ultimately, we must always remember that God is still in control, His ways are above our ways, and He knows exactly what He is doing.
Friends, He will bring us out! As the natural seasons of the Earth come and go, our spiritual walk will experience different times that come and go as well. If we must walk through a stormy time, let’s do it with Jesus. The trial may not change, but the Lord will be with us to give us strength and comfort for the duration. We never need to face any harsh season without Him.
