Times, seasons for everything
Ah, the cooler weather is upon us!
It’s time to bring out the favorite sweaters and coats from the storage. It seems that we all have the favorite “go to” sweater that fits just right, comfie, and warm. As I unpacked my storage box, my daughter saw my favorite sweater and replied, “I remember when you bought that!” So did I – it was a really long time ago. For some reason, this year it looked a bit worn and tattered; time to be replaced. I did get some new sweaters, but I’ll miss this one. No particular reason or sentimental value; just because I really didn’t want to change things. I was comfortable with the way thing are. I suppose most people are.
To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted — a time to break down, and a time to build up. (Eccl. 3:1-3). The first phrase in Ecclesiastes 3:1 gives us the right perspective on time: “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” The two words here — season and time — imply duration and a point in time. Because everything has a season, nothing (at least on earth) lasts forever. God has appointed a “season” for everything. Seasons have beginnings and endings. They last, but not too long. In the life cycle there is a season for gestation, a season for childhood and youth, a season for middle age and a season for old age, followed by death. It’s all quite natural; it’s all ordained by God.
Before we can move forward into a new thing, we usually have to let go of something we’ve been doing awhile. God nudges us outside of our comfort zones toward unfamiliar experiences to encourage us to rely on Him. And all too often, we try to hang on to what is familiar before we have confidence that the new thing is right for us. We wrestle with ourselves, wondering if we really heard from God or if we can really trust Him.
If you keep one foot where you are while the other foot stretches toward someplace new, you will eventually lose your footing and fall over. God wants us to trust Him by doing what He wants us to do and going where He wants us to go. We must learn to let go of what we have before we take hold of something new, and learn to rely on God to meet all our needs.