God of All Seasons
“Making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], redeeming the time/season because the days are [filled with] evil”
(Ephesians 5:16)
“God is the One who changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and [greater] knowledge to those who have understanding”
(Daniel 2:21)
“For as long as the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
(Genesis 8:22)
Welcome to November! Congratulations on making it this far. Indeed, God has been faithful. I believe that we all have a renewed mind and an open heart towards the subject of giving. It is my prayer that as we put this kingdom mystery to work, the blessedness of giving will become evident in our lives.
What is the Holy Spirit saying to us this month? As the year draws to a close, we are being reminded of the concept of time more than ever before. The theme for this month, "God of All Seasons," underscores God's absolute sovereignty over time. And it aligns perfectly with this year’s focus on Divine Acceleration, where God’s intervention can override natural timelines, fulfilling His purpose in ways beyond human understanding.
We must understand that life is in phases; there will always be times and seasons, chapters of one’s life. Gen 8:22 tells us that as long as this earth remains, there will be day and night, seedtime and harvest, moments and process of time. One major mistake we tend to make is to judge God by the seasons of our lives: we tend to only see God as good in the “summer” season of life, but when the harsh cold wind of winter comes, when we suffer loss, or are dealing with a health issue, or just going through a rough place in life, we tend to judge God as uncaring, as distant, as not good. You see, the integrity of the character of God has to be firmly settled in our hearts. We must know that God is inherently good—Abraham knew this, and so must we (Gen 18:25; Ps 119:68). God is good, and it is through the lens of this knowledge that we gain perspectives on the seasons of our lives. Circumstances do not define God, and neither should they dictate our faith in Him. Trust is what you do when you do not understand. Trust is saying like Paul that “I know Whom I have believed”; it is knowing that all things work together for good to them that love God. It is rejoicing like Habakkuk in seasons of famine, knowing that God is able. One thing is clear: the character of God is settled in your heart that He can be trusted. Even if I do not see His hand, I will trust His heart and intentions for me.
Seasons also signify the different stages in the journey of a man in fulfilling purpose. Just as the seasons affect how we dress, seasons refine us and affect our approach to life. Let us take Joseph for instance. His early years were easy and calm. He was his dad’s favorite, getting all the attention and fancy gifts. He was in a good season, probably summer (there was heat from his brothers’ hatred). Then, winter slowly came by. It started with his dreams, and worsened when he was sent to take food to his brothers. The next thirteen years of his life were a very cold winter experience. Ps 105:17-18 says his feet were hurt with fetters and laid in iron. He was despised, almost killed, sold, enslaved, lied against, imprisoned, starved; it was a long cold winter. Yet, in this season of Joseph’s life, God was refining him to be a man of character, a man of joy beyond his circumstances, a man of virtue, a man of diligence, a man who could be entrusted with responsibilities. God was working on his heart, teaching him patience, forgiveness, loyalty, perseverance; God was honing and sharpening his giftings, causing him to practice before a small audience. Then his word came (Ps 105:19); the long cold winter came to an end. The king sent for him; he was enthroned, promoted, restored, dignified. Finally, spring had come! But the lessons of winter sustained him in his spring season. Even he could see the wisdom of God in letting him endure what he did (Gen 50:19-20). The beauty of it was that his spring season lasted for seventy years. Like Joseph, there are certain lessons we can only learn in winter, or in the wilderness. The Bible admonishes us that we can and should rejoice in hard seasons (Rom 5:3). Storms come for a reason and for a season. When we discover the reason, we become wiser; when we outlast the season, we become stronger, as long as we do not quit or give up. Our consolation is that, because we are children of God, our light affliction is only for a moment and worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (2 Corith 4:17).
Prov 30:9 admonishes us that in our season of plenty, our hearts should not become proud. It was the same warning Moses gave the children of Israel, and the same applies to us even now. It is not only in seasons of hard times that we need to keep hold of our faith, but even more so in the times of abundance. In plenty or in lack, we must remember that God is God.
Finally, it is important to note that there are seasons and certain seasons (John 5:4a). While seasons refer to the time and cycle of life (2 Kings 4:16), certain seasons refer to prophetic timelines. These are times in a man’s life when there are dramatic shifts that can launch a man into a whole new season. It is important that we discern and have understanding of the times and seasons of our lives (1 Chron 12:32; Lk 19:41,44b). God is a God of time & seasons, and He expects us to be time-conscious. We cannot afford to fall behind time. May God teach us to redeem the times, and live wisely.
Our series this month will focus on seasons change, understanding times and seasons, don’t waste your season, constant God, my times in His Hands, and there’s rest for you. Shalom!