God has designed SEASONS for the EARTH.
While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. (Genesis 8:22)
God has SEASONS of life for each INDIVIDUAL.
I have been young, and now am old… (Psalms 37:25)
A SEASON is a time period with LIMITS or BORDERS.
Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter. (Psalm 74:17)
When one season ENDS, another season BEGINS.
For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. (Song of Solomon 2:11-13)
God CONTROLS the seasons.
And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. (Acts 1:7)
God’s TIMETABLE for the unfolding of world history and each individual is according to His perfect WISDOM.
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? (Romans 11:33,34)
Seasons of TRIAL can be LONG.
My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace. (Psalm 120:6)
God DECIDES when a season has lasted LONG ENOUGH.
The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount (Deuteronomy 1:6)
Ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season. (Joshua 24:7)
God CHANGES (i.e., lengthens or shortens) a season according to His WISDOM and by His MIGHT.
Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons… (Daniel 2:20,21)
The LENGTH of a season is determined by what God PURPOSES to accomplish.
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations (1 Peter 1:6)
God has a particular PURPOSE for each SEASON.
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
Each season is a favorable “WINDOW of OPPORTUNITY” for a specific PURPOSE to be FULFILLED.
(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2)
time > kairos – Greek > opportune time, favorable season
In each FAVORABLE season there is a specific call to OBEDIENCE and FAITHFULNESS.
Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near (Isaiah 55:6)
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them (Ecclesiastes 12:1)
Seasons are TRUSTS for which God holds us ACCOUNTABLE.
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. (1 Corinthians 4:2)
A wise man accepts God’s CONTROL of the seasons in his life.
My times are in thy hand (Psalm 31:15)
A wise man WAITS for God to end one season and begin a new one.
He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:
Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:
Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.
The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. (Psalm 105:17-20)
A wise man makes the MOST of DIFFICULT seasons through which God’s PURPOSE can be accomplished.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
A wise man REDEEMS (i.e., finds and gets good back) from every season.
Redeeming the time (kairos), because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:16)
Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time (kairos). (Colossians 4:5)
At the END of every season a wise man has GOOD FRUIT to offer God.
And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. (Matt. 12:2)
A foolish man WASTES favorable seasons given him.
He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame. (Proverbs 10:5)
A foolish man lives for PLEASURE rather than God’s PURPOSE, WASTING the unique potential of TODAY.
Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant. (Isaiah 56:12)
A foolish man allows favorable seasons to PASS BY without fulfilling God’s purpose.
The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. (Jeremiah 8:20)
Satan works to keep men from DISCERNING and FULFILLING God’s purpose in a given season.
From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. (Matthew 16:21-23)
When God must wait a long time for His purpose to be fulfilled He shows Himself LONGSUFFERING.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night…
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation (2 Peter 3:10, 15)
What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction (Romans 9:22)
There is a LIMIT to the LONGSUFFERING of God, which He alone determines.
He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. (Proverbs 29:1)
At the end of every season there is a JUDGMENT and REWARD given.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)