Impact Church’s new worship leader, Will Retherford wrote an excellent post a few months back on how God moves in the different seasons of life. It’s worth a read!
Enjoy!
Seasons
for everything there is a season: a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
the book of Ecclesiastes, specifically chapter 3, talks about the many different seasons we walk through in our time. there are seasons of planting and plucking, seasons of casting and gathering, and even seasons of war and peace. today, i wish to discuss the seasons that we all dislike the most.
time after time we tend to disbelieve that God’s hand is at work in our seasons of hurting. why is that? in gungors song “beautiful things” it says “You make beautiful things out of the dust. You make beautiful things out of us.” and in bethels song “Your love never fails” it says “You make all things work together for my good.” so why do we lose our faith so fast in our weary seasons if we truly believe that Christ makes beautiful things out of our mistakes, pain, and struggles? there is a season to be born and a season to die.
sometimes Christ must break us down in order to build us up again. at times, we can be compared to old buildings, full of mold, garbage, have cracked walls, and just barely be holding up. in this state, we must allow Christ to knock down these walls and rebuild a new factory within us. there is a season for breaking down and a season for building up.
it’s these seasons that build our character. its these seasons that we learn to trust in our Savior the most and wipe away the false misconceptions that we are strong enough to walk on our own. i even believe, at times, Christ will let us drift in the midst of a raging sea to teach us to trust. there is a season to keep and a season to cast away.
how else would we learn?
if He always came at our first call, why would we need faith?
or need to rely on prayer?
it’s all about the development process.
but wait, there is hope. Christ never ceases to fail by sweeping in, like rain, and showing us that He is right by our side. He walks with us. the most encouraging thing i find in this book is that it reminds me that i am not alone as i walk through these seasons. the writer is addressing all of us, not just a specific region, but to whomever it may concern, and it concerns us. we all walk through similar things in some shape, form, or level, but for some reason we deceive ourselves to think its just us here drowning in our doubt. just because i am in a season of mourning and you are in a season of joy, doesn’t mean i am not in a place where Christ wants to teach me something, and doesn’t mean you haven’t just come out of a season of pain. this perspective can change the way we look at everything. there is a season to mourn and a season to laugh.
a weary season doesn’t mean we are not in the will of God. when we find ourselves in these places, we must boldly walk through them with the confidence that Christ is walking with us. yes, it is possible to avoid harder seasons at times by seeking and listening to Christ, but sometimes He doesn’t always speak and we must learn to make our own decisions. His love is our strength in our weakness and is greater than anything that comes against us. there is a season to seek and a season to lose.
we can walk through seasons of pain because He walked through a season pain.
His love is deeper than any trench we fall in and wider than any wave that crashes upon us. He delights in us and calls us His own. we are kept close in His arms and changed by His love. delight back in Him.
There is a season to love.
-Ecclesiastes 3-
Seasons
Written by Will Retherford and Charis Key
“ (v1)
In our weary seasons
Our abandoned nights
Your voice has stayed by our side
For us facing heartache
In our trying days
Your hope has swept like rain
(v2)
For us sinking doubters
Carried by the tide
Your peace has calmed the storm
For us lost and stolen
On a road that’s broken
Your guidance brings us home
(chorus)
I will run towards You
In your arms Ill stay
For your love has changed my heart
You delight in me
And You call me Yours
Oh Your love has changed my life
(bridge)
Your love is greater
Your love is stronger
Your love is everything to me
Your love is deeper
Your love is wider
Your love is everything to me
(outro)
In our weary seasons
Our abandoned nights
Your voice has stayed by our side.”
(song coming soon September 4th)