The four seasons influence us more than we realize. In autumn we plant seeds without thinking of how they relate to other things we hope for. Not to plant would be not to hope, which is unthinkable.
“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 it will take time for the husks of seeds we’ve sown to break down in the damp earth so the life in them can be released. Likewise, we have some personal self-doubt while wondering if our investments will survive stock market slumps and corporate crashes? Unconsciously, yes, we do.
The first sign of spring growth freshened by spring showers raises the hope of a good summer harvest. So too our expectations of future rewards in other areas of life are raised seasonally. We extend the promise we see in what we’ve planted to other things we hope for as well.
The summer harvest does not disappoint. What was sown, waited for and watered is gathered in and it is now time to enjoy the benefits that come from the work we’ve done. But if the expectations that have been with us all through the seasons do not then result in an inner sense of well-being, then we’re missing the emotional reward.
“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” (Jeremiah 8:20) So spoke a tearful prophet in one of the most haunting verses of the Bible. Jeremiah lived in a time of unreal expectations. His people were spiritually slack, yet they assumed they could go on doing whatever they wanted while mouthing words to God that meant nothing. (You need to read the entire chapter to see how badly they behaved.)
And all the while a powerful and ruthless enemy was planning to invade their country, sack their largest city, destroy their holy temple, and deport them. Buried deep in the hearts of Jeremiah’s countrymen was the thought that along with the coming of summer and the gathering and storing of the harvest, the threat of invasion would somehow vanish from sight.
Once their crops were through the seasonal threats of fungi and harsh weather, they’d be all right. Well, the crops had survived and were safely stored. But the people themselves were not all right. The threat remained.
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 very anxious about the future of their nation – and with good reason.
Likewise, you might live in the best city in the best area of the best state in the world’s best country. Around you are spectacular sights and stunning buildings. The seasons have been good overall, and you are doing as well as expected, even better perhaps. Summer is not far off, and the good news is that the economy is improving. You ought to feel secure, but you don’t, maybe because you are not in the place that you could be, and need to be, spiritually.
The way to be safe through all the seasons of life is to put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ throughout. We celebrate the birth of Jesus 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 wonderful, but it was his death for us that saved us and that keeps us safe.
You may be wishing, “If only I could say that the seasons of planting, waiting and watering have passed, and now summer is here, and I am safe!” You can if you believe (John 3:16). You can be safe in this life and forever. Here’s how to express to God what your heart is now feeling:
“Dear God, I do believe that Jesus died for me, and I desire to live for him. Please forgive the wrongs I have done and cleanse me through and through. I confess that Jesus Christ really is the Son of God. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and lead me into a Christian fellowship where I can learn further truths in the Bible. In faith I humbly accept your forgiveness, and from now on will seek to serve my Lord Jesus all the days of my life. Amen.”