There is a purpose for every season of life — “an appointed time for everything….a time for every event under heaven…” (Eccl. 3:1). Wisdom is shown in knowing the season and fulfilling its corresponding responsibility.
“Seasons”, as we know them, did not begin until after the Flood. One of the promises made to Noah after the Flood is found in Genesis 8:22 where God says: “While the earth remains Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease.
Our present meteorological cycle did not exist prior to the Flood. The earth was not watered by rain falling from the sky but by a mist rising from the earth and descending again to water the ground like a heavy dew (Gen. 2:6). In his book, The Genesis Flood, Dr. Henry Morris describes what has been called the “Greenhouse Effect.” Adherents to this theory believe that before the Flood, the earth was blanketed by clouds and enjoyed a uniform temperature across the globe. But, then, after the Flood, atmospheric conditions changed dramatically, giving rise to a systematic changing of the seasons. Although we complain about the cold weather in the winter and the hot weather in the summer, for the most part we enjoy the variety produced by changing seasons. There is a time for planting and time for harvesting what has been planted. There is a time when we eagerly anticipate the coming of spring and a time when we look forward to the earth’s white blanket of snow. We are assured that each season, with the passing of time, will give way to the next and we marvel at the glory of God’s creative design!
Be assured that there are also seasons of life–unique opportunities which must be grasped while they are available. Children are young but for a season. If we do not seize the day and bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4), a new season will arise and they will be ill-prepared to meet its challenges. So, while we have opportunity, let us be Christian parents and grandparents, providing example and instruction to help in the changing seasons of life. We will discuss this further in next week’s bulletin.
— Glen Elliott —