and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
We bless God for our harvests. Seasons are important. In the above passage Solomon takes us from one extreme to another. This is a special type of rhetoric called Merisms. Here are a few other examples:
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1
"You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely." Psalm 139:2-4
"For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:11-12
God never changes but he is a God of seasons. He lays out everything in a natural way to teach us spiritually. We are set up to live seasonally: literal seasons; different seasons of growing up; seasons of raising children; seasons of plenty and seasons of lack; seasons of life; seasons of death; football season; rainy season; etc.
Seasons have time limits. We're in God's process all the time. Yet again, even though seasons always bring change into our lives, God never changes.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8
“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed." Malachi 3:6
For a seed to germinate, it first has to die.
Peter's Seasons:
The Calling:
"As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him." Matthew 4:18-20
Peter had expected to be a fisherman his entire life. When Jesus called and Peter said yes, life changed for Peter (and his entire family).
We get major changes often in life. When you get a Word from God, act on it. God is doing something for your benefit. We are to learn and grow in every season of change.
Peter's Rise and Fall:
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Matthew 14:28-30
THEN:
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[a] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[b] will not overcome it." Matthew 16:16-18
THEN (Just 4 verses later):
"22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Matthew 16:22-23
When we tell God we want something different than what he has for us, we are not seeking God and His Will. We want our way. And that is not good.
We go through seasons that God pus in our lives. Changes: some will surprise you; some won't; some you will love; some you will hate...
Peter Fails:
"70 But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”
73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”
74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly." Matthew 26:70-75
Sometimes we too fall big time! When we do things in our own strength; in our will, in our desires -- from SELF -- we will fail. We will not be doing God's work.
Peter begins again:
"15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep." John 21:15-17
He's being given his mission, his role (while also being reminded of his failure so he wouldn't do it again).
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,[a] put him to death by nailing him to the cross." Acts 2:22-23
Everybody is going to cry out for mercy eventually -- either here on earth or in hell. Here on earth it will matter; In hell it is too late.
Application:
What seasons have you gone through?
What season are you in currently?
What is the Word saying to you now?