God the Creator sovereignly holds all things together. The changing seasons reminds us – and relieves us of any pretense – that we’re in control. Snowstorms, spring blossoms, fall temperatures–they’re all God’s to control. He is in charge! Every single year since moving back to Alberta in 1993, I have read media reports of the coming disaster to Prairie farmers – there is too much heat, there is not enough heat, there is too much rain, there is not enough rain, etc. all predicting that the crops will fail. And then, every year when things turn out just fine (in fact, “bumper crops” are more the norm than normal crops) there is no follow-up.
Too many people cannot fathom or appreciate the fact that humans are not in control of the seasons. Sure, clouds have been seeded to produce more rainfall but historical tells us that humans really are not in control of the climate. The “Little Ice Age”, which occurred from the early 14th century through the mid-19th century, and featured mountain glaciers expanding at several locations, including the European Alps, New Zealand, Alaska, and the southern Andes, and which saw mean annual temperatures across the Northern Hemisphere declining by 0.6 °C has been followed by warmer temperatures. This is natural. God is in charge!
We will cycle in and out of seasons until Christ returns and makes all things new. I always hope the warm-to-hot summer temperatures will never end, but then one day they do. They always do. Why? Because God is in charge. The Bible offers profound insights into the rhythms of nature, including the changing of seasons. As we transition from one season to another, here are five verses (from the website bladenonline.com) that reflect on the beauty and significance of these changes:
1. Genesis 8:22 (NIV)
“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” This verse from Genesis reminds us of the enduring nature of God’s creation. Despite the changes in seasons, there is a divine order and stability that governs the natural world.
2. Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 (NIV)
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot.” Ecclesiastes speaks to the cyclical nature of life, drawing parallels between the seasons of the earth and the seasons of human existence. It reminds us that just as the earth experiences different seasons, our lives also go through periods of growth, change, and renewal.
3. Psalm 74:17 (NIV)
“It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.” This verse acknowledges God as the ultimate creator and orchestrator of the changing seasons. It emphasizes His sovereignty over the earth and affirms that He is the one who established the cycles of nature.
4. Jeremiah 8:7 (NIV)
“Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord.” Jeremiah draws a contrast between the instinctual behavior of birds, who recognize the changing seasons and adapt accordingly, and the lack of spiritual discernment among God’s people. It serves as a reminder to remain attuned to God’s timing and purposes, even amidst the changes of life.
5. Psalm 104:19 (NIV)
“He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.” This verse highlights the role of celestial bodies in marking the passage of time and the changing of seasons. It underscores the intricate design of God’s creation and His meticulous care in sustaining the universe.
God will always keep His promises to us–whether to save those who call on Him, to love us with an everlasting love, to always be with us, or to grow us in godliness. When we watch the flowers bloom in spring or the snow fall in winter, we can know that more certain than the ebb and flow of the seasons is God’s constant faithfulness. He who upholds the earth with its rotations and revolutions is also deeply committed to saving a people for Himself, sanctifying them, and bringing them to live in His kingdom forever. If He is faithful with the weather and the created world, how much more will He be faithful to redeem His people and preserve them until they go to be with Him? We might be more inclined to see God’s faithfulness and sovereignty in the beauty of spring, but we can also look to the humidity of summer, the crispness of autumn, and the ice of winter, knowing that God is sovereign and faithful, and Jesus will keep His promise to come for us. God is in charge of all things, and that means He is also sovereignly in control of your life, too. Praise be to our Creator and Loving God!
