Changing of Seasons: The Seasons of Life

One of the most important things that parents should do is prepare their children how to handle death. When a grandparent dies, for example, we unconsciously sense that our parents serve as buffers between death and us. However, when a parent dies, there is no way to escape the reality that our generation is next in line. So every day, people are preparing for death either carefully or casually, either hopefully or haphazardly.

The Spirit said to John in his Revelation, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord” (Revelation 14:13). Note that crucial phrase “in the Lord.” That reminds us that every human being either dies in the Lord or outside the Lord. Physical death seals our spiritual state for all eternity. Or as the writer of Hebrews summarized, “People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). No reincarnation. No second chances. No reruns. It is death and then judgment.

For every believer, death is not the end of the story, but the eternal beginning. Death is only an exodus from all the bondages of this life, a sleep from which to be awakened, and a departure to our eternal home! Because of the resurrection of Christ, death results in gain, not loss (Luke 19:17), joy rather than sorrow (Matthew 25:21), pleasure instead of pain (Psalm 16:11), heaven and not hell, and eternal blessings rather than eternal banishment (Matthew 8:12; 13:50; Luke 13:28).

In view of all this, there is an important question for you to answer. Do you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life? It is not a future experience, but a present reality! (John 5:24). Only confessing your sin to God and accepting Him into your life can guarantee that you will have eternal life. Decide now!

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There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1

As the Creator of time, God has sovereignly divided time into seasons, and it is the heavenly bodies that largely determine these seasons (Genesis 1:14). The seasons of life are also always changing; they never remain static. One season soon gives way to the next.

In seeking to understand the Old Testament, we must remember that it was written primarily to a people who were agriculturalists and pastoralists. Therefore, much of the language is filled with practical down-to-earth pictures, parables, and examples that farmers and herders could easily understand and relate to.

It is also crucial to understand that God divided the year for the Jewish people around their natural agricultural seasons. All seven of the festivals of Judaism are agricultural and each had a spiritual dimension. Jesus perfectly fulfilled the three festivals in spring through His First Coming, the summer festival through the sending of the Holy Spirit and giving birth to the Church, and will perfectly fulfill the remaining three in the fall at His Second Advent.

It is easy to know from the calendar which natural season we are in. But only God’s Spirit, speaking through His Word, can show us which spiritual season of life we are in. Let’s look at the natural and spiritual seasons of life and seek their application to our lives.

During some of the slower times of winter, like a farmer we need to pause, take stock, ask ourselves some hard questions, and do some reprioritizing of our lives. Will the next season be any different than the last ones? Will I basically be in the same old rut next season that I am in this season? After you have prayed and pondered, it is time to make some decisive preparations for the coming seasons (Proverbs 16:3).

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Spring is a time of new life, new birth, new beginning, and new direction—both in the agricultural and spiritual realms. When it comes time for planting, we must be very careful in our seed selection. And we must sow generously in all of the areas we want to reap generously (2 Corinthians 9:6). After we have done our part in sowing seeds, it is God who will make them grow (1 Corinthians 3:6).

Many people in the West tend to think of the summer season as a time of vacation. However, summer is generally not a time of vacation for farmers. It is one of their busiest and most productive times. They know that if they are slack in the summer, they will starve in the fall (Proverbs 10:5). God meant it to be a major time of oversight and anticipation!

When a farmer has faithfully done his job during these other seasons, then fall will become a truly rewarding time. It will be the time when he really begins to reap the harvest of all his hard work. Fall is a time of great pleasure rather than pain when we have lived by God’s principles.

If we apply these spiritual farming principles to our lives, then we will be able to go through each of the seasons of life guided and guarded by God’s wisdom. God really does want us to enjoy life. He is not some celestial Scrooge who wants our lives to be miserable, unhappy, and unfulfilled. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

One of the verses that should be a prayer for each of us is Psalm 90:12: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Where we have failed in one of our seasons of life, we must repent and ask God to begin the work of restoration (Joel 2:25). Then we move forward into the next season of life with His grace and peace.

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