I love the fall! As the summer sun is now setting earlier and the warm mornings are replaced by the brisk cool air, I am moved to thank the Lord for the shifting cycles of the seasons. The fall season for our family is full of birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and an abundance of meaningful family time together. For me, fall is also a time of retrospection. Sometimes, that reflection is bittersweet as I consider all that has shifted and changed over the years; the highs and lows and the wins and losses. Life itself is a continual cycle.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 references these cycles and sets the tone of expectation. Life has cycles and seasons; times that we will experience, enjoy, and in some cases, endure. Life is intricately woven with cycles of change as its center strand. I’m sure that all of you relate and perhaps some of you, like me, reluctantly surrender to that truth. The only thing consistent about change is that it’s inevitable.
In the midst of uncertainty (my pet word for life itself), I find it imperative to have a fortress, a terra firma, a solid ground to stand upon, when the inevitable occurs. In these seasons, I turn to the truth of Lamentations 3:22-24, written by Jeremiah. The previous verses lay out the context of Jeremiah’s “uncertainty.” He was a personal witness to the atrocities of war, of sin, of judgment; as his own nation turned from God to false prophets. He witnessed the darkness of tragedy (Jeremiah 3:2). He experienced the captivity and heaviness of grief (Jeremiah 3:7). He felt the bitterness of the hardship of his people being taken captive by their enemies (Jeremiah 3:15). Jeremiah was branded by uncertainty. It seared him, scarred him, deeply disturbed him. But in the midst of this intimate confession of how the uncertainty of life has marked him, he dares to hope.
Lamentations 3:21-23 (NLT)
Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
May this be our hope as well. As the seasons and cycles of life turn, turn, turn, may we find God’s faithfulness, his unchanging love, his fresh mercies, to be our stalwart; our faithful companion. And may we trust him, like David in Psalm 23, to lead us through life’s hills and valleys to places of anointing and rejoicing. No matter which cycle life is throwing at you today, dare to hope in God’s fresh, unfailing love and faithfulness for you. He will lead you faithfully through it to the other side!
About the Author
Mike enjoys spending time with his wife and four kids. He loves Jesus, art, music, and poetry. He currently works as the Manager of Learning Technology Solutions for Los Angeles Pacific University and is passionate about adventuring outdoors.