A Season for Everything

Each Experience Draws Us Closer to the Lord

Ecclesiastes 3:1

To everything, there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.

For those raised in the 70s, the words of this song are familiar with this verse and the long list of ‘seasons’ in subsequent verses. Ecclesiastes 3 was popularized by the rock band, The Byrds, in 1965. The lyrics are taken almost verbatim from the King James Version of the book of Ecclesiastes, although the sequence of the words have been rearranged somewhat for the rhythm of the song.

If you haven’t heard the song - or haven’t heard it in a long time - you can find it here.

“For everything, there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to harvest;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.”

This list represents nearly all the important perspectives in our lives. Some are happy, some are sad; some are building, some are taking away; some are harsh, and some imply rest.

No matter which side of that pendulum swing you’re on right now, every pro/con, rich/poor, up/down, good/bad, happy/ sad - all are necessary to experience what it means to be fully human and participate in what is often referred to as ‘Earth School’. How we respond to life experiences is how we learn, grow, and evolve - and no matter what the outcome is, Jesus is with us every step of the way.

Remember He said:

• Isaiah 41:10

  Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

• Isaiah 41:13

  For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

• Deuteronomy 31:6

  Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

We all prefer life to run smoothly, with as few disruptions as possible. We complain about being bored, but the truth is, most of us like our boring routines. We don’t like surprises that upend our well-established boundaries and borders.

Routine makes us feel safe.

The circumstances over the last 2.5 years turned every element of life upside down. The changes came at us out of the blue and in rapid succession. We didn’t have much time to adapt. We found our activities and our ability to think critically frozen, like deer in the headlights. The easiest, safest thing to do was to comply with the New Rules, even when we knew they are wrong.

We have a different perspective now. Most of us say, “Fool me once? Shame on you. Fool me twice? Not going to happen.”

• What if we respond to their ‘next round’ from the perspective of, “This too shall pass”, and simply ignore the newest escapades?

• What if we look back over the last two years and view it as a ‘season’ in our life, placed there for a purpose?

• What if we try to find our personal life lessons from within the storm, instead of blaming “them” (whomever they are.)

With God's presence within us, we can navigate every situation with peace and without fear, knowing He is in control.

Sometimes the only way we know how far we have come is to stop and look back. I think that most of us will find we are wiser, more robust, and have a deeper respect for freedom than we did in 2019. We are also tougher and more resilient. We are better prepared for any circumstance that may come.

Today’s Prayer:

Dear Lord, we come to You today knowing that every situation, every circumstance, and every activity has a purpose in the tapestry of our life. The key is to put our trust in You so that “Thy will be done.”

We were never assured life would be easy after we accepted You as our Lord and Savior, but we were promised You would be with us every step of the way. Our part is learning to surrender to You completely.

You never allow life’s struggles to be more than we can bear...and You’ve promised to always help us with the load. Thank You that during our seasons, the times when we celebrate, and the times when we cry, we can give it all over to You. The plan for our life was set in place long ago. We ask for a quiet heart to stay the course. In Jesus’ name. Amen.