Seasons of Life

 

Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.” (Daniel 2:20–23 ESV).

 

Sometimes, as much as we want to hold on to the way things are, we must face the reality that change is a part of life. Teenagers are encouraged to “leave the nest,” and “empty nesters” gradually become accustomed to different rhythms in life as their children leave home. Still, even when it’s time for a change, we can tend to resist it.

 

The prophet Jeremiah refers to storks, doves, swifts, and thrushes, contrasting their wise behaviors with the foolishness of people who have turned away from the Lord: Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration (Jeremiah 8:7). Jeremiah laments the thick-skulled attitudes of the people around him, who lack wisdom because “they have rejected the word of the Lord.” The prophet is saying, in effect, “Even the birds know what needs to be done, but these people are so stubborn!” There is a season for everything, and it’s our task to recognize what season it is.

 

The invitation here is to consider what season it is for each of us. The wisdom of Solomon says:

 

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 pluck up what is planted; 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 cast 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 cast 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. (Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 ESV).

 

What season are you now in… rest in the knowledge that this is God’s best for your good!