The God of All Seasons
by Ross Weaver
“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22)
I look forward to the changing of the seasons. As I write this, we are in mid-October, so pumpkin spice, hoodies, and bonfires are beginning to ramp up. Fall is always nostalgic for me personally, as I have so many fond memories of events that have occurred this time of year. Each season is like that though, seasons are markers of time for us. I would wager we all have fond memories attached to the seasons and their respective holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, as well as the Fourth of July and many others.
Seasons also point to a cycle of life, a sense of one thing tumbling into another, a constant pace of change but always consistently the same. Winter will always give way to Spring, and Spring to Summer and Summer will yield eventually, even in Georgia, to Fall and Winter. This cycle, like so much else in our natural world, points to the divine hand of a creator. Seasons are meant to bring God glory as well as to mark the passage of time.
Seasons of Glory
I would challenge anyone to look at the Fall colors of the Appalachian Mountains, the cold crystalline beauty of a Winter snowflake, the delicate first blossoms of Spring, or the sparkling waters of a summer lake, and not have a sense of thankfulness at having experienced it. The passage of time is evident and self-explanatory, but what does scripture say? Scripture tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 that there is a time for everything:
“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 tie 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.”
Scripture covers all bases even when we may not think that it does. We often say, “this is just a season” when going through a challenging or tough situation in our lives. I have said it more than once in the past week: “This is just a season.” It is almost like I am talking myself up to jumping into a cold lake or walking into the dentist's office. We seem to typically relate a “season” to something we are ready to be out of or done with entirely. I know I am guilty of this. I often fail to appreciate and give glory to God for the seasons in my life, both difficult and rewarding; knowing that He has allowed me to experience each in kind for His glory and my benefit.
I took my son Matthew on a youth hunt last weekend, and he was blessed enough to harvest a buck. I look forward to this father-son time more and more each year. Why? Because it is a season that is all too short-lived. I am not referring to “deer season” here. My son is 10, and walking back from the stand the first morning, he reached over and held my hand. Such a small thing, but it is a season. One day all too soon for my liking he will be a man himself, and most likely, the only time he will hold my hand is when my aging body needs help going up or down stairs. This is the natural cycle of things; even so, life can become overwhelming and downright depressing with the constant change and ups and downs of navigating the seasons of life on our own. Thankfully our hope is steadfast in the midst of ever-changing seasons.
God is there in it all, the ups and downs, the good times and the bad. He is there for every “time” mentioned in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and everything in between. He invites us into a relationship with him. Let that sink in for a moment. The creator of the universe wants a relationship with us. Not passing, “good morning” type relationship with him, like an acquaintance on the street, but deep, meaningful relationship…deeper than our human minds can grasp. His love for us is so deep that he sent Jesus, God in flesh on our behalf. He made a way by living the perfect life that we cannot and dying the death we rightfully deserve for our sinfulness. It didn’t end in death however, he rose again on the third day, conquering death and sin! Jesus made a way for this eternal relationship with our good, holy, majestic God when we follow him and make him the lord of our lives.
Whatever season you find yourself in right now, know that you are not in it alone. God is there in the joy, the waiting, or the sadness. He is rejoicing with you in the victories, with you in the waiting, and mourning with you in the sadness. Through Christ Jesus, we rejoice and mourn from a place of victory. You are not alone.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)