SEASONS: There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
At the end of every year, smack dab in the middle of the Christmas season, something interesting happens that we don’t pay attention to. Along with the fantastic decorations, promotions, and sales that this season offers us, there is something it offers us that we take for granted sometimes. Every year around this time, an institution that you visit quite often takes the time out to hand you a calendar. In some places, they include it in your bags at checkout. Other places require you to ask for it, while others require proof of purchase for you to receive it.
Some of them are stylish, they are enriched with recipes and advice, while others are simple. But the main goal of it is achieved either way. They give you the calendar because they want to show their appreciation, and because they want you to be aware of important dates and seasons. Each calendar, depending on which institution you got it from, gives dates that are important for everyone (public holidays), dates that are important for them (promotions), and information on the date each season will start and end. They don’t want you to miss out on anything, so before the year starts, they see it fit, to equip you with something that makes you aware of what is to come.
This probably doesn’t happen in some countries because everyone has a smartphone, and all the information is at your fingertips. By whatever means you acquire the information, it is without a doubt something that we need throughout the year to recognize our seasons. And I thought to myself if they, being human, know to equip people with information about their year as a gift or free on their phones, how much more is our Father in heaven willing to equip us with information about the seasons of our life if we ASK Him.
A season is defined as four divisions of the year (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) marked by particular weather patterns and daylight hours, resulting from the earth’s changing position about the sun. While most countries have some commonalities when it comes to seasons, each hasits own. For some places on the Earth, the 4 seasons are recognized, while for some it’s 2 and for others,it’s determined based on the likelihood of a natural disaster or the likelihood of planting and harvesting.
I’m sure Christian or not, if you have gone to a church on more than one occasion or spoken to a believer, you have heard the word season. Christians similarly use the word season. We use it to define a moment in our life where God does or in doing something specific. A season of blessing (everyone’s favorite), a season of testing, or a season of change. Every Christian is believed to be in a season at any particular point in time.
Whether Christian or not, the need to know which season you’re in is and was so important that in ancient days people would go to great lengths to discover it. While I’m sure there’s more to the story, it is documented that back in the day they knew that the way the earth tilted had to do with the changing of seasons. But they had to find a way to determine the tilt of the earth. So, they would set up vertical poles in different areas on earth and they would watch diligently and record where the shadow was cast when the sun hit it. They would then use this data to help them determine seasons. Therefore, they weren’t able to correctly determine what season they were in until they had to look back on data previously collected and compared it with the information they had now. They found differences and similarities in not only the shadow that was cast but also the weather they experienced. They also found that they could not use the weather conditions to determine to seasons because some seasons have similar weather. It was a great discovery. but while they were able to tell what season they were in, they weren’t able to correctly decipher when it started and when it ended.
They could only recognize their seasons RETROSPECTIVELY.
Now technology has become so advanced that such gifting is not limited to a special time of the year. Your country equips you with not only information about seasons, but they give you a day-to-day weather report. They want you to be prepared so they tell you when it is likely to rain so you can bring your umbrella. When it is sunny, so you can plan to play, when it will snow so you can dress appropriately. They ensure that you are not only equipped to face the seasons whatever they may be but that you are equipped to face each day. Because they know that the seasons don’t change when the weather does. Even though it does not stop the rain, sun, or snow, it ensures that you are prepared for it. If they, being mere men, know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ASK HIM?
While it was a scientific breakthrough then, with all the information available to us now. the idea that someone would only recognize a change in the season-long after it had already begun is ludicrous. While it may seldom happen with the 4 seasons on earth, it almost always happens with Christians. Even with all that is available, most of us still recognize our season retrospectively. Because we have adopted the principle of determining our season based on the circumstances of our life over what our “calendar” says. If it’s raining it must be my rainy season, if it’s snowing it must be my snowy season, if it’s sunny, it must be my sunny season. Or in terms we may better understand, if everyone is getting married it must be my wedding season, if everyone is having babies, it must be my pregnancy season and if everyone is moving up in their career it must be my career season.
Not necessarily so. We often don’t pay attention to the reminders on our phones or remember what the calendar said because when the season changes the weather doesn’t necessarily follow. That is, snow doesn’t start to fall, or it doesn’t just get cold on December 21st, and it doesn’t get hot on June 21st. Usually what happens is that it is cold long before the beginning of winter, and hot long before the beginning of summer and even thereafter.
But God through his son Jesus has provided a vertical path for us to look to, to determine our season. Through Him, we are given light and information that helps us to decipher when one season ends and when the other begins. Through His Holy Spirit, we are given our daily “weather report” that ensures that we are prepared daily for whatever a day in the seasons brings. He also constantly reminds us that our circumstances don’t determine our season, God does.
HE HAS ESTABLISHED A SET POINT IN HEAVEN BY WHICH OUR SEASON STARTS AND ENDS.
The thing about this knowledge is that it is a gift. Some of us don’t even know it is available, some don’t ask for it, and some don’t know that the blood of Jesus qualifies them to receive it.
Therefore, most of us go through life being frequent consumers of the things of God while still being unaware of the gifts that He gives. So, we journey through a year and even life unaware of what is and what is to come. We have no idea what tomorrow brings or that tomorrow could be the day that changes everything. We still have not, because we still ask not.
Many days have already elapsed, how many of us have even stopped to ask God for our 2022 calendars? Do we know where we are and what seasons we are in, getting out of, or coming into? Do you even know that a 2022 calendar exists for you?
Unlike others who may have to wait to receive their calendars at their next visit. We have a constant connection to God through prayer in which we can make our requests known to Him. Seasons are important, and every Christian needs to know that they are equipped with what’s necessary to receive their 2019 calendar and their daily reports. Because every season is different, and everyone has different seasons. And recognizing your season and your set point can be the difference between you mourning in a rejoicing season and rejoicing in a mourning season.
Nobody wants to mourn longer than they have to and nobody should have to. If we learn to depend on God to govern our seasons, we can know exactly when to turn our frowns upside down, despite our circumstances.
Let us pray: Lord we thank you for your provisions and your gifts. We thank you that you love us and constantly are on a mission to show it. At this moment we offer up to you every day in 2019 as a sacrifice and we invite you to write our 2019 calendars. We vow to seek the Holy Spirit daily for our “weather” reports and ask that you teach us to recognize our season not by our circumstances but based on the set point that you have in heaven. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
TO BE CONTINUED………….