There are times we find ourselves on the mountaintop and there are times we find ourselves wandering through the wastelands. The reality of life is that there is a journey to the mountaintop and we can’t sustain ourselves at the peak when we get there, even though we love the view, the lightness of the air, and the celebration we revel in from a mission accomplished. Just like it can’t stay springtime. God created seasons.
“It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever-flowing rivers. The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.” (Psalm 74:15-17 NIV)
There are seasons to life. Some are harder than others. No matter how hard we try to maintain control of the elements around us, springtime gives way to summer, summer gives way to fall, and fall gives way to winter. Things change. Feelings fluctuate. The devil schemes. And the open path closes.
There are seasons of doubt, seasons of encouragement, seasons of rich community, seasons of loneliness, seasons of waiting, seasons of visible fruitfulness, and seasons of hidden struggle.
But season to season, God remains steadfast, unchanging, trustworthy, sure, and true to His promises. Our God can be found in every season.
As Daniel approached a season of mystery and unknowns, he called on God to reveal to him wisdom and discernment for the days to come.
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.” (Daniel 2:20-23)
God was faithful to answer Daniel at just the right time. “During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision.” (Daniel 2:19) God was faithful to reveal deep and hidden things. God was faithful to illuminate what was once in the dark, like warming the places hidden by shadows in the night with the sun in the day. God was faithful to make known what needed to be known to David for the moments ahead.
In every season, God is within reach.
There are times when I question the reason for the season. During these seasons of mystery, rather than becoming fearful, lazy, or worrisome, I can take my questions to the God of every season. “God, what are you trying to teach me in this season?”
When we call on Him to open our eyes to the things unseen and ask for wisdom and discernment for the days ahead, He is faithful to respond. Each season is another chance for us to surrender control.
While not every season is fruitful, every season is purposeful. As we pursue God in every season, He will faithfully prepare us for the purposes He has planned for us in the season ahead, according to His will. Whether we feel the warmth of springtime or the cold of winter, God is God of every season, His faithfulness withstands, and His purpose prevails. When our hope is in the one thing that never changes, we need not fear when the circumstances around us, the paths in front of us, and the seasons of life change.
“As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease.” (Genesis 8:22)
Be careful not to get ahead of our God. He leads, we follow.