Seasons of Life

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. —Ecclesiastes 3:1

Our family recently sat together with a box of old photographs from times gone by, reflecting together on life’s memories. Some of the snapshots were vaguely familiar, while others were unforgettable moments. Some brought long-forgotten memories back to life. Some memories were shared by all, while others by only a few.

There were photos of our beautiful sister dressed for her prom, just starting to get her feet wet in life. Of brothers handsomely dressed in marching band uniforms, ready to carve out their niche in the world. Photos of family BBQs, weddings, and babies.

Some photos showed the newness giving way to job responsibilities and growing family life, the exuberance of young adult life giving way to a more sober seriousness that reality and time tend to bring. The marks of those life challenges could be seen in the photos, etched across our faces and in our eyes as we began to realize that nothing stays the same forever. Those we love don’t either.

There were photos of our grandma and grandpa and our dad and others no longer with us. They remind us of the difficulties when independence slowly slips away and lives come to a close. As the weeks and seasons pass, the shadow of this last season stretches a little longer over those of us who were once “the young” and have now become “the older.”

All these photos tell the story of how we came together to become the family we are today—so many seasons of life.

Our faith walk has its seasons as well. In our newborn faith season, we’re just beginning to walk, and everything is magical and exciting. We have our hopes and dreams, nothing is impossible, and the many answered prayers we experience as new believers fuel us. It is often said that if you want a swift answer to your prayer, ask a new believer to pray for you!

Then comes the flourishing season, when our spiritual feet are under us, and we’re learning how to run the race set before us. We’re engaged in learning, growing, serving, and ministering. It’s an exciting time, but it comes with harder challenges. We’re discovering the meaning of unconditional love and sacrificial giving and about leaning hard on God when things get tough. We’re still seeing prayers answered but also learning how to wait on God when His answers are veiled.

We may hit a dry desert season when God seems silent and invisible. His Word doesn’t seem to speak to us as it once did. We wonder what’s wrong with us but force ourselves to maintain the godly habits of praise, prayer, study, fellowship, and worship we’ve long since cultivated. We’re learning to persevere and stay the course despite what we may or may not see, feel, or hear. It’s a dangerous season when some might grow stagnant or even wander off the path or wonder where God is in all this.We may experience a painful season of refining fire. It can be excruciating as it burns deep, purifying and strengthening us. It may be so hard that we even question God when it hurls us to our knees and flat on our faces before His presence. But this is a time we learn lessons about God and ourselves that we may otherwise never know. In this season, we learn true submission, what it means to lay down our lives before God as a living sacrifice, and the value of praise in the midst of the storm.

A mountaintop season refreshes us with renewed vigor in our faith walk, enthusiasm, and a clearer vision of the future. The Word drives deeper into our hearts and sears precious life lessons into our souls, while an awareness of the love of Christ overwhelms us with greater intensity. We realize even more deeply all Christ has done for us and what our sin cost Him.

“Season” in today’s verse means “an appointed occasion.” We might be inclined to pat ourselves on the back for the good and visibly fruitful seasons of our faith walk or beat ourselves up for the seemingly unproductive and dry ones. However, this meaning tells us that the seasons of life are not random and not by our design, nor are they permanent. They are God-appointed for a time and specifically for His purposes, and every one of His purposes has its own season set in motion to accomplish His perfect will.

Father, the seasons of life and of faith come and go in our lives, but one thing is sure, one thing is constant:
“For I am the LORD, I do not change.” —Malachi 3:6a
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. —Hebrews 13:8

I love You, Lord!
Donna Perkins

Sweet Selah Ministries

Vision
To inspire a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth of God’s Word that stillness and knowing
Him matter most—and will be reflected in more effective work and service

 Mission
To offer biblical resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)

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