Last summer brought unrelenting temperatures of more than 100 degrees to my part of the country. So when a day arrived when the sky brought overcast clouds and rain, I began to think about autumn and cooler weather. I love certain aspects of summer, but the too hot days stir my anticipation for what comes next.
The same is true as I watch my children grow. Every stage has something in it that I never want to lose and other characteristics that leave me anxiously awaiting the next place of maturity.
Perhaps this idea is what Solomon meant when he wrote, “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Because we were made in the image of the eternal God—and for an eternal relationship with Him—nothing we experience on this side of heaven will permanently silence our desire for something different.
Even the believer who understands Paul’s admonition to be content in all circumstances knows what it is to feel longing (Philippians 1:23, 4:11). It’s the inescapable mark that we were made for something beyond this moment.
Just as seasons are an inevitable part of creation, they will be a constant source of change in our lives. We can take comfort, however, knowing that the same God who designed the boundaries of time (Genesis 1:14) has the power to direct every season we will encounter.
He’s not a distant observer who simply gazes upon the “births” and “deaths” of our lives. He’s a God who lovingly takes every event, even those planned for our demise, and forms them for our good and His glory (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: John 3:1-21
More:
Read Psalm 104 to see how God has ordered all creation, including our well-being.
Next:
What season in life are you currently experiencing? How can you find joy in it without being afraid of it changing? What are some of your longings that are an evidence of ‘eternity’ in your heart?
yemiks1 on June 19, 2012 at 1:35 am
But for the believers in Christ, they shall have a time of Love & Peace at last.amen!
O’LORD give me the most special season & time (in-out) to praise You.
regina franklin on June 19, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Dear yemiks1,
Jesus truly is our peace and stability amidst any change. I am so thankful that His Word promises this stability, not only in eternity but even here on earth (John 14:27). Blessings!
yemiks1 on June 21, 2012 at 7:33 pm
Thanks ma. God bless!
loananna on June 19, 2012 at 9:13 am
Yeah I think the Lord is trying to tell me something…I was just thinking about this ever changing world we live in and how life seems to move faster as we age. Last night my middle daughter informed me i was gonna be a grandma again(my first daughter has three) this will be her and her husbands first. Though i am happy beyond belief, maybe my reaction wasn’t what she expected…so many things pasted thru my mind as my world is reiling these days…We are currently downsizing to a smaller home, I am ill with walking pnemonia and am supposed to be resting, my work load has increased(the Lords blessing) need I say more…I keep going back in my mind to when they were smaller and all the things we did together…I wonder if i did enough, or not. I love my grandbabies so much, but am constantly told i spoil them too much. I treat them as i treated my daughters, pouring love into them. I grow afreaid thinking as I get older they wont want to be with me…Please pray that the Lord will help me with these changes that are constant in this world till he takes me home…
regina franklin on June 19, 2012 at 2:59 pm
Dear loananna,
Your heart seems very heavy with all of the transitions taking place around you. Change not only affects our sense of stability but it can also have a significant impact on the relationships around us–even when we know the change is good or even necessary. May the Word direct your choices and the investment you make in your family. May He heal wounded places from the past and may you find rest, even in the midst of great transition. You have a place of privilege in being able to love your grandchildren up close–may the Lord give you His wisdom as you invest in their lives.
justrae on June 20, 2012 at 9:27 am
Regina, thank you for writing on one of my favorite scriptures. I love Ecclesiastes 3:11. It’s so powerful and humbling. It brings me to what C.S. Lewis said in his book, “Mere Christianity”… “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world…” This desire (for something more, something bigger) is in every human being, which, to me, just proves that God created each and every one of us on purpose and for a purpose. God didn’t create us for this broken world of sin, He created us for something much better. Thank you for your devotions, I enjoy reading them!
daisymarygoldr on June 20, 2012 at 10:25 pm
Great post, Regina! You are right; “God has the power to direct every season we will encounter.” He determines when the seasons change (Daniel 2:20-21). He can shorten or stretch seasons: to postpone the second coming of Jesus, to withhold judgments, or to give us an opportunity to turn back to Him even when it seems like we have passed the season of no return.
God has appointed seasons to accomplish His purposes and in order to find joy in a season, we need to know and conform to His will for that season. One season is actually a prep phase for the next season. When something is not done in its due season, it affects the work of the following season. Ignorance of how God’s will is worked out in each season can lead to untold pain and frustration in our lives.
Some give up when the season becomes uncomfortable. Others deny their faith when the times are not favorable. And like the foolish virgins 1 in 2 who are not prepared will be totally caught off guard when the doors to eternity open. This is why we are told to be careful how we live here and now. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity and understand what the Lord wants us to do.
And so, we are not to be easily affected by life’s temporary trials, led astray by life’s transient temptations, nor distracted by life’s fleeting pleasures. We move forward in life and go with the flow of the seasons. Every season we go through is meant for our overall growth. The ultimate purpose of the different seasons is fruitfulness. We cannot skip or speed up God’s seasons that He has predetermined for us. Trying to hasten the maturing of fruit will hinder the natural ripening process that results in loss of flavor.
No matter what the season we are in, wisdom is to wait on His time and submit to His will for every season. Only then we abide in Him to produce the fruit of the Spirit in all seasons—for His glory and the good of others. God has placed the longing for eternity in man and He has also placed us on this earth for a reason. Let us then make the most of our time and seasons on this side of eternity, so as to make the most of the opportunity to be with God on the other side of eternity.