Seasons

The first time i ever opened a bible, i was about 8 years old. I picked one up and just randomly opened it up. Here is the first passage i ever read:

Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 NASB 2020

1 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every matter under heaven— 2 A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. 3 A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. 4 A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. 5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. 6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. 7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. 8 A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.

This very profound scripture is so important.

Humanity has a flaw - we have a hard time understanding time.

We are very prone to make everything or to assume that everything stays the same - we lack sober forsight.

This passage tells us just the opposite: Life changes.

And we can see that life generally has 2 seasons.

1: Seasons of Joy.

Birth, planting, healing, building, laughing, dancing...

These are all expressions of joy and life.

2: Seasons of Sorrow.

Dying, uprooting, killing, tearing down, weeping, mourning...

These are all expressions of sorrow and loss.

Our Problem:

Because we do not recognize the truth of seasons we take which ever season we are currently in as the permanent status quo.

So if a person is currently in a season of sorrow with all the confusion that goes with it, we make a terrible mistake when we assume that this is now our life.

We get overwhelmed at start to believe that what has been uprooted will stay in disarray.

We get frustrated and believe that the weeping and mourning will never come to an end.

My friends: If there is anyone here in a season of sorrow take heart and have faith.

Psalm 30:5 NASB 2020

5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.

To all of you: Everything happens for both a reason and a season - and seasons change. You do not even need to know how the current season can change, just have faith in God that as He says it will change; it will change.

But there is another side to this truth:

If it is true that all seasons change and if we indeed find comfort in the truth that our seasons of sorrow will end… what then do we make of the equally true fact that:

If its a fact that seasons of sorrow will end, then it is also a fact that seasons of joy will also end.

So Eccl. 3 shows the “double edged” factor of the Word of God.

This passage which speaks such comforting truth to us in one season, also has a threat for the other season.

What do we make of this?

Question 1:

Are seasonal time periods set?

In other words: Is it possible to change the duration of seasons?

This is a very interesting question.

Well let me ask you this to help answer it:

When God delivered his people from Slavery in Egypt, He told them to go to the Land of Canaan.

A trip or season that should have taken no more than 11 days - that 11 day long season of travel - what happened to it?

Because of their disobedience their 11 day season was extended to 40 years!

You had better believe that our choices have significant impact on the duration of our seasons: Whether good or bad.

Question 2:

Since the duration of a season is not set, what influence do we have on either shortening it if its a season of sorrow and lengthening it if its a season of joy?

A Season of Sorrow: A sure fire way to make it longer.

If we are experiencing sorrow, let me first say this:

It is often not always obvious to us if the sorrow we are experiencing is the result of the normal changing of seasons OR if our sorrow is a result of God’s discipline.

Discipline brings sorrow.

Hebrews 12:11 NASB 2020

11 For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

So is our sorrow simply seasonal or is our sorrow self inflicted?

Because its not always easy to know my advice is to find out from God.

David prayed:

Psalm 139:23–24 NASB 2020

23 Search me, God, and know my heart; Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there is any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

Go before the Lord, kneel in His Holy Presence, leave all your arrogant presumptions at the door and let God reveal if there is any sin in your life that He may be disciplining you over.

But what if the sorrow is not a result of discipline but rather a season change?

What choices can we make to influence the season of sorrows duration?

Check your faith.

There is a time for sorrow. There is a time to weep, a time to mourn and a time for things to be broken.

The length of that time IS determined by our attitude towards it.

Weeping is weeping and there is nothing wrong with it at all. Jesus wept.

But, at some point the holy weeping, which should end, becomes unholy self pity.

Self Pity

And i hate to be the one to say it: The season of weeping will not end if the weeping transforms into self pity.

self pity is when you no longer mourn your loss but your lot

Perhaps one of the most infamous ly evil kings of Israel was Ahad. Ahab stands as an example of what we must NEVER become.

One day Ahab wanted to buy a vineyard belonging to a man Naboth, when Naboth refused the kings offer - look:

1 Kings 21:4 NASB 2020

4 So Ahab entered his house sullen and furious because of the answer that Naboth the Jezreelite had given to him, since he said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned his face away, and ate no food.

Translation: He went to his room and had a pity party.

Listen: Ina season or sorrow and loss you are totally allowed to mourn, to weep to feel the sorrow of the loss or disappointment.

And in that season the church has the duty to mourn with you.

BUT at some time as the Lord who is your healer heals you, you have to speak to your own heart and say:

Psalm 42:5 NASB 2020

5 Why are you in despair, my soul? And why are you restless within me? Wait for God, for I will again praise Him For the help of His presence, my God.

Job is our hero in this.

Job was not suffering because of discipline. Job went from a season of Joy and within 24 hours was in a season of terrible sorrow.

But what was Job’s attitude?

Well when his wife saw his misery and told him to curse God and die (a polite way of her saying throw yourself a pity party):

Job 2:10 NASB 2020

10 But he said to her, “You are speaking as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we actually accept good from God but not accept adversity?” Despite all this, Job did not sin with his lips.

James picks this up:

James 5:11 NASB 2020

11 We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

James 1:12 NASB 2020

12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

As a pastor you will not believe how many people fail this.

Seasons change, sorrow comes 3 weeks later they stop coming to church. And if a person stops coming to church they also more than likely stopped praying, stopped reading, stooped studying the Word.

Our weekly church service attendance is the most powerful time of worship in our week.

You are upset at God because while you are happy to accept good from God but not adversary.

The longer you remain in that attitude the longer the season of sorrow will be.

A Season of Joy: A sure fire way to cut it short.

Seasons of Joy are wonderful and if we can influence and increase their duration what can we do?

I am convinced that key to maintaining joy is a proper attitude of thankfulness.

We are in danger of leaving a season of joy when it is no longer joy that we experience but entitlement.

A season of weeping ends when the weeping ends, but if the weeping becomes self pity the season remains.

In the same way a season of joy end when joy ends. Well what could end joy?

Entitlement.

Entitlement is when you believe that all the good things in your life are no longer of grace but that they are yours by right.

How can we tell if we are entitled?

In Ezekial 16 God recounts all His gracious blessings to Israel.

He anointed her with oil. Put jewelry on her wrists. clothed her in fine silk.

All of Israel’s good things came from God, as all of our good things also do.

But what did Israel do with her good things?

Ezekiel 16:15–17 NASB 2020

15 “But you trusted in your beauty and became unfaithful because of your fame, and you poured out your obscene practices on every passer-by to whom it might be tempting. 16 You took some of your clothes, made for yourself high places of various colors, and committed prostitution on them, which should not come about nor happen. 17 You also took your beautiful jewels made of My gold and of My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images so that you might commit prostitution with them.

Listen very carefully:

You are in danger of shortening your season of joy if you become entitled.

You know you have become entitled when you start using God’s good gifts as opportunities to sin.

What do i mean?

It is the Lord who has given you the strength to get wealth.

Deuteronomy 8:18 NASB 2020

18 But you are to remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, in order to confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

With that good gift of wealth, you have probably used it to get internet access at your home.

You can watch TV, access bible studies, research the bible… all good things.

The moment you use the internet, which you have only by God’s grace, to sin, say by looking at porn, you have become entitled because you think you can do with it want you want, even to satisfy your sinful desires.

Last week Justin beautifully exhorted us to enjoy all of our blessings.

And indeed, God wants each of us to enjoy the good things He has given us.

BUT we are to enjoy all these things in holiness and thanksgiving.

If i am at my computer watching a bible study on the Logos Now website - I can close my eyes and say “Thank you Lord for proving me enough wealth so that i can have acces to this content”.

Can you close your eyes and pray the same thing on Pornhub?

No.

Conclusion:

That life goes through seasons is set.

But the duration of these seasons is contingent on how we respond to them.

Are you, in your sorrow, still worshiping, still praising, still submitting to God?

I say to you that you are closer to a shout of joy in the morning than you realize.

Are, in your joy, forgetting God, ungrateful, using the gracious resources of God to engage in sin?

I say to you that you are closer to the sun setting on your unappreciated season that you realize.