Praise Him in Your Season!
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
As we look around, Autumn is starting to make its presence known. With the shift in season, we see the colors changing, the weather adjusting, and a distinct feeling in the air. Personally, I adore Fall—it's my favorite season because it showcases God’s incredible creativity! Fall often symbolizes change and transitions, packing up and putting away. Each season, whether Fall, Winter, Spring, or Summer, plays a crucial role in both the natural world and our personal experiences, guiding us through cycles of change and renewal.
Just like there are natural season changes we too experience spiritual season changes. Spiritual season changes can be profound, reflecting shifts in personal growth, emotional states, or even deeper connections to faith. Just as the natural seasons transform, these spiritual transitions often bring new insights, opportunities for renewal, and a deeper appreciation for the journey of life.
Ecclesiastes 3 1-8 talks about the certainty of seasons, helps us understand the different aspects of the seasons that we may go through, and how to respond to the different seasons.
Let’s look at the text!
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV)
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
Life is made up of different seasons, each with its own purspose and timing. The Hebrew root word for season means “ to be present” or “ to happen” so just like we talk about natural seasons that we experience at different times of the years…
we are also talking about spiritual seasons that we go through as we live this life.
Spiritual seasons in our lives can be understood as different phases or stages of spiritual growth and experience that reflect our journey with God. Just as the natural seasons of spring, summer, fall, and winter bring different conditions and changes in the physical world, spiritual seasons similarly bring unique challenges, growth opportunities, and experiences in our walk with God.
What season are you in spiritually? Can you recognize where God has placed you in this season of your life?
If you are experiencing renew and new beginning, growth, hope and joy… you might be in your Spring Season.
In this season, embrace the new opportunities for growth and be open to the fresh insights and experiences God is bringing into your life.
Summer is known for abundance and flourishing, maturity and stability, celebration … this season could look like a season of fulfillment and contentment.
In the summer of your spiritual life, take time to savor the fruits of your labor and share your joy with others. It’s a season to celebrate God’s goodness and your growth.
You might be experiencing the Fall of your journey, where change is evident. Perhaps people you once considered friends are now distancing themselves, or maybe you are facing other shifts and transitions.
Embrace the changes with faith, knowing that God is working through these transitions to prepare you for the next season.
Maybe it is the Winter season where there are feelings of bareness, desolation, or even spiritual dryness.
Trust that even in this cold and barren season, God is at work. Winter is a time for resting and preparing for the renewal that will come with spring.
Understanding the season you are in spiritually can provide comfort and clarity as you navigate your faith journey. Whether you are experiencing the renewal of spring, the abundance of summer, the change of fall, or the dryness of winter, trust that each season is a part of God’s divine plan. Embrace the lessons and opportunities of each season with faith, knowing that God is guiding you through every phase of your spiritual life.
The writer asserts that everything we experience—whether good, bad, or indifferent—is part of the divine order and structure established by God.
Change is inevitable! There will be ebbs and flows and its all about how we stand in our faith and how put our trust in God! Verse 2-8 talk about the different
So lets talk about it!
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
There is a beginning and there is an ending. God says he is Alpha and Omega. Just like he is in beginning and he is also apart of endings. Our time to be born and our time to die are under God’s control and his Word encourages us to view life as a precious gift. Each day is an opportunity to fulfill God’s purpose for us. We have a responsibility to live meaningful lives, embracing the time we are give and making the most out of every moment we have.
God’s timing is perfect. He doesn't work on our time. He is not bound by time. We we go through things and we don’t know why things happens when they do but God’s timing is always right. This trust helps us face both the joys and the sorrows of life with a sense of peace and purpose.
A time to pant and a time to pluck up whats been planted : any farmers— my grandfather was a farmer. He had me and my siblings out in the garden before the sun got to high in the sky and he taught us how to plant and how to pick whats was ripe. I would ask him Papa how do you know its ready… He would say I can tell…
We are called to discern the appropriate times for different actions and decisions in our own lives. Timing is important right… the is time for growth, for action and reflection.
You are not stuck in life or not doing enough. You just may be in a period of sowing, preparation, and hard work for whats to come.
God is not testing you to see if you will fail.
a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
Now look, don’t go out here and say Minster Aerial to you there is a time to kill. God wouldn’t say thou shalt not murder and then turn around an inspire King Solomon to write that is a time to kill…
A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up. This presents a duality: "a time to kill" doesn't solely imply violence, but could refer to justice, war, or the natural cycles of life and death. It acknowledges that there will be moments when tough or severe actions may be necessary.
Healing represents restoration and renewal. Healing is a choice that we make. It requires an active decision to move towards recovery and growth, even in the face of difficulties or wounds. There is this phrase that people say they are in there “ healing era” where conscious choices are being made to promote healing.
to break down and to build up…just like physical structures need to be torn down to make for new construction, our lives undergo periods of deconstruction and reconstruction.
Sometimes God has to break us down to build us back us. Its has to happen for growth to happen. God grows us.
We face circumstances that require us to break down old structures, ideas or habits to make way for something new.
we may have to let go
we may have to breakdown
we may have to grieve
But even in this, God helps regain, build up and heal.
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Verse 4 goes on to say weeping, laughing, mourning and dancing… these emotions are what makes us human! We are going to weep, we are going to mourn. When we go through loss, disappointment and hardship and it is not a sign of lack of faith or a sign of failure.
Jesus wept.
Jesus showed his humanity and feelings and emotions! It is okay to cry. It is okay God is compassionate and understanding Father who meets us in our sorrow and provider comfort.
He will never leave or no forsake us
He is our refuge
They will be times of laughing and dancing… joy, celebration and we live for these moments. These tend to be the times we praise God the most. When things are going good ,when we are in the Spring and Summer season praising God and being grateful is alot easier.
Every emotion has its place and purpose in our lives. Experience the not so good times, the grief, the disappointment. helps us appreciate the good when it comes around. It also allows us to give our testimony.
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
Back in the time of King Solomon stones were a resource and they were a hinderance. Removing stones from a field prepared it for planting while gathering stone could be part of construction or fortification.
This imagery signifies the different task and phases we encounter in life: sometime we must clear obstacles whether that is physical or spiritual. We must remove the barriers that hinder our spiritual growth and relationship with God. They might emotional, psychological and addressing these things can lead to a closer walk with God.
Self examination
Seek insight for Gods’ Word
Seek Counsel
Confess, repent and seek God
Forgive and reconcile
Strengthen your faith and pray
Stones were also essential resource for building. The stone or rock is very symbolic is scripture.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
God is our Rock. Our fortress, deliverer, symbolizing stability and strength.
We are living stones building on the Chief Cornerstone which is JESUS.
By gathering these stones—through studying God’s Word, praying, worshiping, fellowshipping, and developing virtues—we build a strong and resilient spiritual foundation.
a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
There are ebbs and flows to life’s experiences. The are distinct seasons for seeking, losing, keeping and letting go . Seeking represents the pursuit of what is desired or needed. What are you seeking? Some people be searching but for the wrong things… One of the most important things we can seek for our faith walk is Gods’ guidance!
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
We need to ask, seek, knock, pray because God will answer those who earnestly seek him.
A time to Lose: there will be times we must let go of something or experience loss. This is challenging because nobody wants this to happen.
In order to move forward, in order to experience ALL of what God has for us we have to let go of past hurts and grievances. Loss can come in all shapes and forms and we are devastated but there is an acceptance that we eventually come through. Yes grief and sadness will be present but the tough reality is that life keeps going.
As I was studying the scripture I realized and I dont know if this is true for you all… I have a little bit of a control issue. Not in like the negative sense though… But I have to practice letting go of the control I think I have. I, we, cannot control every aspect of our lives. God is sovereign and that’s why we put our trust in Him because we believe that every thing is working out for the good of those who love Him. When we learn to our own understanding we are not fully trusting God.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
Tearing symbolizes a profound and often painful process of loss or upheaval. Jacob tore his clothes when he thought Jospeh his son was dead. Tearing can represent the need for a spiritual or emotional reset as well. I like to call the times come to Jesus meetings. They can be long or they can be short. A reset to realize who and whos you are and when we are ready to sew (sow seeds of faith)… when we are ready to stich things back up we will be able to be restored, and renewed.
Everything that is ripped is not useless. Broken pieces can be put back together. Tears can be wiped away. Hearts can be mended. Embracing these times as opportunities for God to work in and thorough us will shape us in the person He is calling us to be.
a time to speak and a time to keep silence
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
Ephesians 4:15 encourages us to speak the truth in love, growing in every way into Christ. Our words should be used to build others up and promote growth and understanding.
keeping silence- I like to think of this as a time to observer, listen, to feel… there is a saying that goes silence is golden… it gives us the opportunity to use our other senses to gain perspective. We are able through our to be mindful, empathic, sympathetic. I am learning that not everything needs a response. Sometimes people just need a listening ear, a hug, or just love.
a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
Everything that we do should be out of love. God is love. A time to love is what we know to be Agape Love…unconditional, self sacrificial love that God has for us and calls us to extend to others. It is love that seeks the well being of others regardless of circumstances. So when we are dealing with these aspect of life whether is laughing, dancing, mourning, weeping, gathering, casting away, tearing or sowing … love should guide our interactions not only with each others but with ourselves.
but the scripture says that there is a time to hate: again dont go out here and tell people the bible says there is a time to hate…. we are not talking about hating people and holding personal vendettas. Nope not at all or being bitter, or petty. Biblical hate means having a righteous aversion to sin and injustice. Think about Jesus when he flipped those tables in the the temple. Righteous anger… upholding righteousness.
O you who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
There is a purpose for War however while we defend justice it should be approached with care aiming for resolution and peace.
There are wars happening right now. But God is in control of that too. There will be a time for peace even if that peace doesnt happen until the PRINCE OF PEACE who is Jesus returns.
Jesus being fully God and fully human experienced the nature of the human experiences. Jesus life and ministry offered insights into how these different aspects of life were validated.
The word becoming flesh, Jesus being born to Mary, exemplifed divine timing. God sent his son exactly at the right time. As he walk this life Jesus was fully aware of what he we sent for to do. He new he was on a divine schedule. Not wasting a drop up if even when experiencing what we all go through.
Joy, sorrow, grief, happiness… all of these serves purpose. We will go through all of this and I encourage you all just like I encourage myself to PRAISE HIM IN YOUR SEASON. Whatever you are going through at this moment whether is the Winter or the Summer … Fall or Spring season of your life praise Him… because he has brought you to it and he will bring you through it. You may not be able to see it now, you may not be able to feel right but just know God has his hands on you and he will not let you go. He will not leave to crumble under the circumstance. Trust God! Allow him to work it out. Because you will.
Jesus is the center of God’s divine plan, providing meaning and purpose to every season we encounter. When we have Jesus in our heart spaces, and the Spirit guiding us we lack absolutely nothing ! He has equipped us with faith, patience, love, temperance and so much more.
God promised he would walk with us through everything that we go through. In order for Him to do that we must accept Christ as our Savior and place him at the authority of our life.