8:02 AM

Seasons Change, But God Doesn't

The short days of Winter have rolled into the now longer and sunnier days of Spring. Almost everywhere you can hear a singing bird, or a bubbling brook, or see a smiling flower, declaring without embarrassment, "Spring is here, and God has made us beautiful, to prove that He exists, and to declare His glory and to praise His wonderful name!"

We are so grateful that we get to enjoy these things. But far more than that, we are grateful that we have come to know the great God who formed all these things, and can by the power of His Holy Spirit within us join His creation and declare His wonders to our neighbors all around us!

As we are out and about doing our routine shopping, almost everyone comments on the weather: "it's about time that Spring is here," or "I was getting so sick of the cold," and many more such words. I like to remind them that "it is another day the the Lord has given us," and "God gives us what we need just at the right time." I find it amazing how discontented humanity is. We look forward at the end of Summer to cooler days, but when Winter comes it's just way too cold. Then we want it to be warm, but when we're in the heat of summer it's just far too hot! Will we ever be content with what God provides for us, and just appreciate the blessing of each season in it's time? At least we who love the Lord can, and be a testimony to those around us. "He hath made everything beautiful in his time" (Ecl. 3:10).

Sarah and I are constantly amazed at how the Lord, every moment we live, provides the things that we need, and exactly at the right time. Good times and bad times both, which are kind of like seasons: they come and go, but the God who rules over all our good times or bad knows just when we need them, and has already promised before they come that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28)

What we call a bad time is really just a moment in our lives when God is testing our faith to see whether we are going to trust Him, and still keep on rejoicing. When we experience what we call a good time, we are not really having to exercise faith, and are just floating along in a moment of seeing things go the way we like. I believe that our lives are made up of these two kinds of experiences. The Bible exhorts us in 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 18 to give thanks in everything, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us.

The biggest reason of all for giving thanks in everything (and even for everything [Eph 5:20]), is that God doesn't change! The Bible declares that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17). He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5), He has promised to provide all our needs (Phil 4:19), and His mercy endures forever (Psalm 136:7)!