“For Everything There Is A Season”

I really enjoy the spring season. I enjoy spending time in the warm weather, stopping to smell the beautiful flowers that bud, and having a greater capacity to enjoy the sun when I leave for work. It brings me relief and hope, a season of promise and new life. Out of the four seasons, I would say it is my favorite.

I think it is reasonable to compare the seasons of the year to the seasons of life. We have the winter season, which is when some animals hibernate and some plants die in cold conditions. We have the spring months, which bring the return of wildlife and new life to plants. We have summer, which continues the growth from spring but often under some extreme weather conditions. And lastly, we have the season of fall, which prepares wildlife for the transition into winter. We can all look back over our own lives and see how each part of our lives may fit into one of these categories.

A Season for Everything

Looking back at my own life, I remember a season in my career when I felt purposeless. My job at the time did not seem to be moving me forward in the direction I wanted to go. It was not until four years later that I saw purpose in that season: God used that time to prepare and qualify me for where He now had me. That life season, which felt like a winter season of death, was also a fall season of preparation that eventually gave birth to a beautiful spring.

Sometimes we cannot identify the purposes of our seasons of life, and sometimes they will not be known until Glory. But King Solomon, the most likely writer of Ecclesiastes, clarifies and encourages that each season has a purpose. In Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV), Solomon writes, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” He then goes on to list the purpose of each season in a way that validates the experience of each.

Some of those particulars that he lists from verses 2–8 can easily speak to current or previous seasons in our lives. You could be in a season recovering from a broken relationship (“a time to uproot”) or maybe beginning a season in a new relationship (“a time to plant”). You could be in the season of the “in between”: between the ending of one relationship and waiting for the start of a new one (“a time to heal”). No matter what circumstance you are in, Solomon’s encouragement is the same: “for everything there is a season.”

What Does This Mean for Our “Now”?

We glean this encouragement from Solomon: We all have different seasons for different purposes in life. But one can ask: How does that affect how I live in my “now”? How do I see the purpose in this waiting for my future spouse? How do I see the purpose in the pain of my infertility? How?

• In the face of the past, we are redeemed

  • Our past seasons of life—no matter what God has brought us through, good or bad—have been redeemed. There is a purpose in that pain, in that joy. God has used it and will use it for His glory. It is a part of our sanctification—how He the Potter has molded us as His clay (Jeremiah 18:1-6). It has been used to sanctify us in our relationship with Him and to testify to others of His greatness.

• In the face of the now, we are content

  • We can find joy in the Lord in our current season of life—whether it be hard or seemingly smooth. Looking back on the testimony of yesterday, we can live in the “today” knowing that God is faithful and good. His promises are true and eternal. We can be like Paul: “for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content” (Philippians 4:11b, ESV), because we have the promises of God and the Spirit of God.

• In the face of the future, we are hopeful

  • For future seasons of life, we have the hope that God will provide for us and carry us through. We know that He has our best interests at heart; He will use every season for good (Romans 8:28). And even if we may never fathom why He chose to allow us to walk through different seasons of our life, we can trust that we will be able to understand in Glory. For now and for eternity, He is our final answer, and He will suffice.

You may be walking through a hard season right now, or you may be feeling like life is a breeze. Let us all be encouraged to remember and recognize that each season has worth and is precious, for each season—in one way or another—is a gift to us from the Most High God.

Author Bio:

Leslie Williams writes with a passion for helping women grow in their knowledge of Scripture and confidence in their faith. She teaches online as an adjunct professor at Liberty University and holds an MDiv in Pastoral Counseling. She is currently a PhD student in the Theological Studies program at Liberty Theological Seminary. In her free time, Leslie enjoys reading, running, and meaningful conversations over coffee.

Additional Resources:

Seasons Change, God Remains		A Prayer for Life’s Seasons		The Gospel Changes Everything | 365-Day Devotional		Even If | A Bible Study of Habakkuk
				Loading price…		Loading price…
View Blog		View Blog		Add to Cart		Add to Cart