I love the seasons. I love the rhythm they bring to life, the transformation they bring to creation, and the variety they prompt to my wardrobe. When I think of the seasons, I want to sing along with The Byrds’ “Turn, Turn, Turn.”
God was, of course, the genius who not only thought up the idea of seasons, but spoke them into existence. He promises in Genesis 8:22,
“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
The seasonal changes bring a steady constancy to life that can be reassuring, when the seasons of stress—whether they be relational, financial, organizational, vocational, or something else—are often unpredictable.
The changing seasons prompt praise from my heart to my Creator. When I am focused and mindful, I rejoice in God’s provision and in the glory of His imagination. But sometimes days and weeks go by and I forget to acknowledge His handiwork.
We may be distracted by the fleeting nature of time: what it does to our own age and bodies, or how quickly our kids are growing up. Or we may be distracted by the daily minutiae of our packed schedules. We forget to pause and ponder the miracles around us, even miracles as simple as the apple we mindlessly polish off as our 3 pm snack. That apple, a midday pick-me-up, began as a blossom in the spring and grew to an apple by fall. And long before the blossom, was the seed poked into the ground, followed by the years of growth: from sapling to maturity. It’s astounding. I need to thank Him. I need to remember to thank Him.
Children—our own, our children’s children, our nieces and nephews, or those living next door—allow us to recapture the wonder. We just need a few ingredients: a Styrofoam cup, a little potting soil, and a seed. We add some water, wait a bit, and marvel with little humans that a teeny hard black seed sends up a soft green shoot. How do the roots know to go down and the plant to come up? How long until we get apples (or pumpkins, or beans)? Can we plant more seeds?
Their questions make us smile. They also help us remember. The seed and the harvest all point to the One who always keeps His promises. He is ever faithful. We take a tiny human hand in ours and, as we behold the miracle of the growing plant, we give praise to the miracle-maker who made it grow.
This week’s devotional video is a bit different! We’re featuring Laura’s guest lecture for the ladies at Cross Church Pinnacle Hills, where she spoke on Acts 15—The Jerusalem Council—as part of their study of the life of Peter. We hope you are blessed as Laura shares thoughts on Peter’s defense of the Gospel in this passage from God’s Word:
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