Jump Start # 3927
Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under Heaven.”
Our verse today, when read in the KJV, says, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Here in Indiana we are in the midst of seasonal transitions. The weather is cooler. The leaves are turning color and dropping off the trees. Night is longer. And, before long, it will be time to make soup, get out the sweaters, turn on the furnace and put a fire in the fireplace. Just a few more times and the lawn mowing will be finished for the year.
As seasons change, it reminds us that there are seasons in life. And, like the weather, change comes whether you are ready or not. Before you know it that little baby is walking and then talking. Parents try so hard to get that baby to speak some words and just like that they try to get that child to be quiet. Off to school is a season. Off to college is a season. Moving out and starting on your own is a season. Getting married and starting your own family is a season. Empty nesters is a season. And, saying goodbye to the love of your life, as they pass from this life is yet another season.
As Paul concludes his second letter to Timothy, he begs him to “come before winter.” There is a time and a right season to do things and we must be ready for those opportunities.
When seasons change, they force us to change. We may not want to change, but the season demands it. Around here, one can wear flip flops and shorts in January, but it’s not the smartest thing to do. You’ll likely freeze those little piggies on your feet. And, when change comes upon us when we are not ready, it can lead to worry, fear and discouragement. How we long for the way things once were. How we want life to return to normal. But, it won’t.
How does one prepare for the coming seasons?
First, faith in the Lord will get you through whatever you encounter. Spring, summer, fall and winter, walking with the Lord will make all the difference. It will guide you as a parent. It will give you the wisdom to instruct and advise your growing children. It will give you the hope to face the new seasons, knowing that with the Lord you are never alone.
Years and years of dwelling in the word of God will bring you the answers you need when the storm clouds gather and the skies darken in your life. David’s struggles with Saul, the courage of Shadrach, the confidence of Peter in Acts, the trust that Abraham had in the Lord, these are much more than just stories in your Bible. These are your people. These are examples to help you. Seasons changed for them, yet they found the Lord was with them.
Second, make the most of each season. Each season has blessings and challenges and opportunities. Don’t allow guilt and regret to ruin your life. Find ways that you can be useful to God’s people. As the seasons change, so do we. You may not have the health that you once did. You may not have the finances coming in as you did when you worked. You may be so busy with kid activities that you can barely breathe. Don’t miss the golden moments that each season offers. Do what you can where you can.
Most around here love the fall the best. But, even in the dead of winter, the sparkling snow on a bright sunny day is something to behold. Find the bright spots and bring joy to others.
Third, one day, we will be in a place that does not change. We call that eternity. We call that Heaven. There won’t be a moment that we regret we are there. There won’t be a place that we’d rather be. I don’t remember much about my grade school. J.K. Lilly, school 53 is where I went for eight grades in Indianapolis. I can vaguely remember some of the classrooms and a couple of teachers, but that’s about it. I don’t think about that school. Days, months, years go by without me giving that place a thought. It was a moment in time. I wonder if that’s how we’ll think about this place once we are in Heaven. It was a moment in time. But our focus will be upon where we are. It will be upon the Lord who we are with.
Here, seasons change. Life changes. But, there, things will be constant.
What season are you in? How are you doing with the changes that each season brings?
Roger