The Seasons of Life

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“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isa 40:31).

It is notable that Isaiah puts the imagery of this verse in this particular, specific order -- wait, fly, run walk. Logically we would prefer that it say "wait, walk, run, and fly!" With the implication being that once we take flight, we never come back down.

That's how the imagination of man works; ever looking for that mystical "fountain of youth" on the endless quest for the gold in King Solomon's Mines, so we can relocate to the rediscovered Lost City of Atlantis, where we can swim with Dolphins and eat sugar-free cotton candy. Oh-blah-dee, Oh-blah-dah.

But this is not the way God works. His thoughts are not our thoughts, and our ways are not His ways. God's way is -- wait, fly, run, and walk. Which, of course, brings us right back to wait again. And so the cycle repeats -- over and over throughout the course of our lives.

Just like the seasons of the year, we each pass through these four seasons many times as we journey with Jesus.

Waiting is the winter season; long, dark and cold. Flying is the spring season, bursting with life and color. Running is the summer season, burning fuel and moving fast. Walking is the fall season, slowing down and easing into yet another winter.

The beauty in all of this is that "to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven" (Eccl.3:1). Each one has its purpose in our lives.

If you are waiting -- it will not be forever! Springtime is coming. If we would learn to recognize the season we are in, and let the Lord do His work for that season in our lives, we would always be centered in the will and purposes of God. Not running ahead, nor lagging far behind. And we have his own assurance that there will always be for us "meat in due season."

In other words, whatever we need to handle the particular season we are in at any given point in our lives -- the Lord will see to it that we have it.
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