“The reason for the seasons”

Sunday, December 18, 2016

The reason for the seasons

The apostle Paul told those who wanted to elevate him that they should instead turn their attention to the one who does deserve it – God (Acts 14:15). Paul said this about the Creator: “Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness,” (verse 17).

Despite the concerns that some have about climate change, there will always be the four seasons as they were given to us by our God. We are not just talking about the Father either. Notice what was said about the Christ in John 1:2-3: “He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”  Jesus was present when the world was formed and is also jointly responsible for its existence.

There is a saying that “Jesus is the reason for the season.” It would be more accurate to say “seasons”. People can create a panic in this world about climate change, but the four seasons will exist until the end of time. In speaking about our Creator, the Psalmist wrote, “The day is Yours, the night is also Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun. You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter,” (Psa. 74:16-17).

Man often forgets that God is in control and that this world will ultimately be destroyed by our God at the end of time (II Pet. 3:9-11). Until then, the sun will rise and the sun will set. The earth shall experience climate changes as it has for thousands of years.

How many times have older people said, “I haven’t seen weather like this since…”? In other words, things go in cycles.  Imagine a child that was born just before the seven years of plenty in Egypt (Gen. 41:54). The first seven years would be very different than the following years of hot, dry famine.

Those who reject God will never be satisfied with His comforting words. When things come back around and certain regions get the weather they are known for, some will cry, “See, more climate change!” As Solomon said, there is nothing new under the sun (Eccl. 1:9).

Keep in mind that when we talk about the seasons, they continue to exist even in places that do not have huge, visible changes during the year. For example, when Jesus spoke about the destruction of Jerusalem in Matthew 24, He stated, “And pray that your flight may not be in winter.” (verse 20). Did this mean that there was a danger that they would be getting the kind of weather that Alaska would normally see in the winter? Of course not. But the weather would be much colder than the summer.

We need to see that Jesus is the reason for the seasons and that there will always be the seasons. Southern California has a spring, summer, fall and winter. Are those changes as distinct as the seasons of the Northeast? Certainly not. But even if the weather patterns in both areas became more similar, let’s not panic. I realize that the media will state that such things have not happened since records were kept. Fine, but what about the thousands of years before they started recording temperatures?

The truth is, our God is the reason for the seasons. We are thankful for the planting and the harvest, for the sunshine and the rain, and for the night and the day. There is a time for everything (Eccl. 3). But remember, there will come a time when time will be no more. Let’s make sure we are ready for that before worrying about earthly things.

                                                                                                Chuck

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