Seasons influence us more than we realize. In autumn we plant seeds without thinking of how they relate to other things hoped for. Not to plant would be not to hope.
“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22)
We wait through winter knowing that it will take time for the husks of seeds sown to break down in the damp earth so the life in them can be released. But do we relate this to the personal self-doubt we feel when wondering if our investments will survive stock market slumps and corporate crashes? Unconsciously, we do.
The first sign of spring growth, freshened by spring showers, raises the hope of a summer harvest. Our expectations of future rewards in other areas of life are raised as well. We extend the promise in what we’ve planted to other things hoped for.
The summer harvest does not disappoint. What was sown, waited for, and watered is gathered in, and it’s time to enjoy the benefits that have come from the work and the waiting. However, if the expectations we had through the seasons are not realized by an inner sense of well-being, then we’re missing the real reward.
“The harvest is past, the summer is over, and we are not saved.” (Jeremiah 8:20) This verse is one of the most haunting in the Bible. Jeremiah lived in a time of unreal expectations. His people were spiritually slack but assumed they could go on doing whatever they wanted while mouthing words to God that meant nothing. (The chapter reveals how badly they behaved.)
And all the while a powerful and ruthless enemy was planning to invade their country, sack their biggest city, destroy their holy temple, and take them into captivity. Buried deep in Jeremiah’s countrymen was the thought that by the time summer came and the harvest was gathered, and stored, the threat of invasion would somehow have gone away. Once their crops had survived the seasonal threats of fungi and severe weather, they’d be all right.
Well, the crops had survived and were now safely stored. But the people themselves were not all right. The harvest had passed, and the summer had ended, but they were not safe. Although free from the anxiety they had felt about the future of the harvest, they were still anxious about the future of their nation – with good reason.
You may live in the best city in the best area of the best state in the best country. Overall, the seasons have been good, and you are doing as well as you expected. Summer is here and things appear better than expected. You should feel secure, but you don’t.
Might this be because you are not in the place you should be spiritually? The way to be safe through all the seasons of life is to put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. We celebrate his birth but he’s really the Man for All Seasons. Born in a stable, Jesus died on a cross for the sins of us all. The birth of Jesus was awesome, but his death for us is what saved us: that made us safe and acceptable to God.
You may be wishing, “If only I could say that the seasons of planting, waiting and watering have passed, and summer is here, and I feel safe!” You can be if you believe John 3:16-17. Here’s how you can express to God the desire that’s now in your heart:
“Dear God, I believe that Jesus died for me, and I desire to live for him. Please forgive my sins and cleanse me through and through. I believe that Jesus is your Son. Please lead me to a Christian church where I can learn the truth of the Bible. In faith I humbly accept your forgiveness, and from now on will seek to serve you all the days of my life. Amen.”
If your prayer is a sincere one, God heard it and has forgiven your sins, which means that you are now “saved” — made safe! Not safe just for this summer but for all eternity. Now love God and live for Jesus every day!