5 WAYS I KNOW THAT SEASONS CHANGE, BUT GOD REMAINS THE SAME

Seasons change, but God remains the same. What a comforting truth during times of transition and change! How do I know? Because I have experienced His presence in the valley and on the mountaintop. Learn how I have leaned into this truth and the ways God has shown me that He remains ever faithful and constant no matter the circumstances.

THE GOOD, BAD, & UGLY OF CHANGING SEASONS

We often resist the truth that life is seasonal, don’t we? While we are in one season, we cannot help but wish, hope, and pray that we are in another.

• When we are children, we long to grow up and assert our independence.
• When we are single, we hope to find the perfect soulmate and spend life together.
• When we have young children, we hurry them along to get some rest, energy, and time for ourselves.
• When we begin to age, we hold tightly to the “good old days” and rage against the passage of time.

And so the circle of life repeats.

But with adulthood comes responsibilities we did not anticipate. And sticking and staying in a committed relationship (soulmate or not!) takes a lot of effort. As we watch our children grow older and leave the nest, we pray that we can keep them small and under our care for just a bit longer. And as we face the march of time and our mortality, we look for ways to turn back the clock and become young again.

To every season…turn, turn, turn.

• Why is it so difficult for us to embrace, accept, and be fully present in our current stage of life?
• Why do we long for life changes and then find it so hard to let go and move on when they arrive?
• How can the truth that God never changes give us hope and comfort?

We will be taking a deep dive into answering those questions.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT CHANGING SEASONS

The Bible has a lot to say about changing seasons and times, but probably the most recognized and recited verses come from the book of Ecclesiastes by King Solomon.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

² a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
³ a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break 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 cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
⁷ a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸ a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

⁹ What gain has the worker from his toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. ¹² I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; ¹³ also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.

¹⁴ And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him. ¹⁵ What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 (ESV)

Although this passage of scripture is poetically beautiful (even songs have been written using these words!), we cannot miss Solomon’s message. He affirms that there is a time for everything (the good, the bad, and the ugly!) and that all of these seasons are ordained by God.

On the one hand, the idea that God is at work in every detail of our lives from birth to death, including embracing, casting stones, loving, hating, tearing, and mending, may give us great comfort and security.

On the other hand, knowing that God controls all things by His divine providence and makes “everything beautiful in its time” may cause us to think that life is futile and meaningless and we have no agency in what happens to us.

I agree with Warren Wiersbe’s balanced perspective:

The inference is plain: If we cooperate with God’s timing, life will not be meaningless. Everything will be ‘beautiful in its time,” even the most difficult experiences in life.”

Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Satisfied (p.52-53)

FOUR BIBLICAL TRUTHS ABOUT CHANGING SEASONS

We can hold onto four biblical truths, knowing that seasons change, but God does not.

1) TIME: THERE IS A TIME FOR EVERYTHING (vs. 1-8)

There is time for meaningful things (like birth and death) and time for more minor things (like silence and speaking). As the poem’s flow suggests, time constantly marches on, and we must move with it. We anticipate some seasons and dread others, but it does not change the truth that God appoints a time for everything. We cannot fast forward or rewind time (although the Back to the Future movies may suggest otherwise!) which makes keeping up with changing circumstances challenging.

2) TOIL: CONSTANT CHANGE CAN MAKE US RESTLESS (vs. 9-11)

With the fluctuation of the changing seasons, we can experience restlessness when we think things are moving too slowly or anxiety when sudden changes overwhelm us. We may question (like Solomon does) what God is doing and feel we are always in the dark. Seeking satisfaction in temporal things increases feelings of frustration and futility and leaves us longing for purpose and meaning.

3) TREASURE: LIFE IS A GIFT FROM GOD TO BE ENJOYED (vs. 12-13)

However, Solomon gives us reason to be grateful despite the changing seasons by reminding us that the enjoyment of life is a gift of God to be treasured. He challenges us to enjoy God’s blessings (simple things such as satisfying work, food, and drink) instead of focusing on our inability to make sense of life’s transitory and repetitive nature. We do not need to understand everything to experience joy, purpose, and meaning.

4) TRUST: GOD IS IN CONTROL OF CHANGING SEASONS (vs. 14-15)

Even as we acknowledge that we have no control over the times and the seasons of our lives and are entirely subject to them, we can trust that God’s plans are good because He never changes. As followers of Jesus, we can find tremendous comfort in Romans 8:28, which tells us that God has not only appointed a time for everything but is actively working to bring all those things together for our good and His glory.

GOD REMAINS THE SAME

The immutability of God is one of His attributes that we often do not ponder. However, the significance of God’s unchanging nature should be the foundation for our belief in Christianity. The dictionary defines immutable as the state of not changing or being unable to be changed.

In all of the universe, there is nothing that does not change.

God stands alone and apart in His immutability. Though seasons, times, people, and places may change, God always remains the same. It is impossible for him to change.

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6 ESV)

“God is not a man, so he does not lie.
    He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
    Has he ever promised and not carried it through?
(Numbers 23:19 NLT)

“Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth
    and made the heavens with your hands.
They will perish, but you remain forever;
    they will wear out like old clothing.
You will change them like a garment
    and discard them.
But you are always the same;
    you will live forever.” (Psalm 102:25-27 NLT)

• How does God’s immutability impact us?
• Why should we rejoice to know that God never changes?
• How can the truth that God remains the same give us hope and security?

Arther Pink says that the truth that God is unlike us and is incapable of changing should give us joy, hope, and security.

However unstable I may be, however fickle my friends may prove, God changes not. If He varied as we do, if He willed one thing today and another tomorrow, if He were controlled by caprice, who could confide in Him? But, all praise to His glorious name, He is ever the same. His purpose is fixed, His will is stable, His word is sure.”

A.W. Pink

And Josh McDowell explains that God’s unchanging nature allows us to trust and depend on Him entirely:

The influences that cause change in your life have no effect on God. He will never be stronger or weaker. His knowledge and wisdom will not increase or diminish. God does not compromise or change His values. And God does not have mood swings. Life and its uncertainties may shake you, but God — the Rock of Ages — does not move. If you cling to Him, His strength will sustain you.”

Josh McDowell, Attributes with Josh

5 WAYS THAT I KNOW GOD REMAINS CONSTANT DURING CHANGING SEASONS

Amid my life’s changing seasons and times, knowing that God remains the same is my anchor and hope. Because the Bible promises that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), I know five things are true:

1) I know my life has purpose and meaning.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.“

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

2) I know that God’s plans for me are always good.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.“

Romans 8:28 (ESV)

3) I know that God’s truth is timeless.

The grass withers, the flower fades,
    but the word of our God will stand forever.“

Isaiah 40:8 (ESV)

4) I know that God will always love and be faithful to me.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
    His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.“

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

If we are unfaithful,
    he remains faithful,
    for he cannot deny who he is.“

2 Timothy 2:13 (NLT)

5) I know my future is secure and eternal.

This God—his way is perfect;
    the word of the Lord proves true;
    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.“

Psalm 18:30 (ESV)

The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
    the plans of his heart to all generations.“

Psalm 33:11 (ESV)

ENCOURAGEMENT DURING CHANGING SEASONS

Because God remains the same throughout the changing seasons of our lives, we can have hope, purpose, and security. However, it is also helpful to have the support of others who are also navigating seasonal life changes.

So if you are looking for a safe place to pause, pray, and process the changing seasons of your life, would you consider joining me here AT THE CROSSROADS? Sign up by filling out the form below, and you will receive weekly blog posts, monthly newsletters, free faith resources, and more!

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