Seasons are incredible things. They’re a part of this rhythm God has created in nature, and they bow to no-one other than God. No matter how much we long for the warmth of summer to remain, Autumn and Winter always come. And once we get all cosy in winter, spring pops up and the rhythm continues.
As an avid gardener, I’m always surprised by the growth in spring. No matter how many years I’ve seen my plants burst with energy as spring lands, I am still amazed. And I have most definitely attempted to maintain that level of growth throughout the year, but it just doesn’t work like that. I think what I’m learning (through my garden and the Holy Spirit, of course) is that seasons can’t be manipulated. They follow God’s timing, not ours. There is a purpose to each season. Although it may be comfortable to remain in one season, that wouldn’t allow us to grow and develop. We long for the seasons of growth, production, beauty, and fame. But it’s in the process of the year that a plant develops the strength to fulfil the season of flowering and producing fruit.
The principle of seasons hits home as believers because it forces us to yield to God’s timing, His ultimate plan and the rhythms He’s put in place on our lives. We do not control the wind or the rain, but if we can be present in every season we face, we will develop into a mature believer. One that can withstand the harshness of the wind and the rain.
We are currently in a season where COVID 19 has made a significant impact on the way we live. As we all long for the relief of a new season, do not discount what God is doing right here! In the loneliness, uncertainty and fear, God is working. He will use every season to mature us as believers and make us look more like Him, as long as we yield to Him as Lord and to His timing. There’s a scripture that says “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them”. It’s from Romans 8:28.
God has a specific purpose for you in every season. He loves you. He has called you to fulfil those purposes regardless of what your surrounding environment looks like. In fact, His purpose for you might be specifically because of the season you’re in. He’s not caught unaware, He’s more involved in the detail of our lives than we realise. He’s there in the seasons. He’s with you in the wind and rain. And there is a purpose for it.
I think the most practical way to approach seasons in our lives is to notice the change, and then ask the Holy Spirit:
“What is the purpose of this season?”
“Lead me though this season in a way that will bring you honour and glory”
“Give me the strength to walk through this season with you by my side” and
“Help me to not yield to the difficulties of this season, but rather, yield to you as my Lord and Saviour.”
By Lindi Marais
