Seasons

March 16, 2022

To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

We are just four days away from the first day of spring. Even though spring has not officially begun, there have been visible signs that it's on its way. The first warm, sunny day in February sends a knowing wink to us of what is on its way. Purple crocuses and yellow daffodils can be seen in flower pots and lawns. Some trees have colorful blooms that seemed to have appeared overnight, and some chartreuse leaves have already appeared on the earliest blooming trees. These hints of a new season are generally welcomed by most. Longer and warmer days, colorful blooms, and an awakening of dormant things signifies new life and the end of what might be to some, a cold, dark season.

In anticipation of warmer days, many may have been put off by our temperatures and surprise snow just four days ago. Many of us probably would have preferred a much warmer and sunnier day. Perhaps we complained about the weather, especially if our weekend plans had to be altered.

Blessed be the name of God, forever and ever! For wisdom and might are His! He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding! He reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him! Daniel 2:20-22

In something as seemingly harmless as complaining about the weather we can so easily forget that it is our Creator who changes the times and seasons and that there is purpose in everything that He does. Looking ahead to the next season is not bad. It is natural to anticipate coming changes. However, God simply showed me through some snowflakes four days ago that He is not finished yet in this current season. The leafed out Bradford Pear trees seemed a contrast to the falling snow; yet there they both were just like the new and the old can sometimes co-exist in our lives. We must trust His timing in everything and not be discouraged when something we thought we were done with from the last season surprisingly shows up. Perhaps we were done with "it", but He wasn't.

Daniel was in a precarious position facing death unless he was able to correctly interpret a king's dream. He had to interpret the dream without even knowing what the king had dreamed! In his own dream, Daniel received revelation and was able to correctly interpret the king's dream. Daniel knew this wisdom had come from the Lord God. He was reminded of God's sovereignty over time, seasons, and earthly government, He knew it was the Lord God that had revealed another man's dream to him and had shown him what the dream meant. Our Lord knows what is in the darkness; our darkest thoughts and fears are not hidden from Him.

Your Creator alone completely understands your current season. He knows the changes coming. He also knows what leftovers remain from past seasons. He is able to move you between seasons as necessary. He is trustworthy and He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11.