The seasons of life are like the seasons of the year. We know that the seasons will change, but their changing is often subtle, and we know very little of when the change actually occurs, only that it has happened. We also may experience brief fluctuations within a season—moments of refreshment and relief or instances of pain and struggle. But these fluctuations are temporary, and our primary season always returns. But we are taught to trust in a God whose faithfulness is constant through each season and across every change of the wind.
It is August now, and in Georgia (US), our days are often hot and muggy. After our chilly winters and wet springs, many are eager for the bright days that lie ahead. However, when the summer sun finally appears, it’s accompanied by its scorching heat. The South is famous for its almost unbearable humidity, and unless we are forced to venture outside, many retreat and seek refuge in an air-conditioned space. It’s ironic that the thing we once longed for—that which would give opportunity for outside pleasure—is the very thing that keeps many of us inside. Additionally, while the sun may revive what was dead or dormant in the winter, it is also what dries out and makes wither. We and the flowers alike search desperately for relief. Our minds begin dreaming of cooler days in the coming spring. Oh! How fickle we are that we are not sure of what we truly want. While we are in one season, we wish for the other. We seldom find contentment in the season that we are in.
One seldom finds contentment in the season that they are in.
As I sit here during the first week of August, the weather has been unusually cooler these past few days, unlike the blistering temperatures of the previous week. And next week only promises a return of summer’s devouring heat. But for the moment, it’s a pleasant reprieve. It’s nature quenching the thirst of the dry, parched ground and its inhabitants. It’s God meeting the needs of his creation in the middle of its barren state. We are pleasantly reminded of God’s unrelenting care and grace in those seasons we feel spiritually dry and desperate.
David writes in Psalm 63 how he earnestly searches for God, and then goes on to describe the pain within his body caused by God’s seeming absence. The longing isn’t restricted to his heart or feeble emotions. It’s physical, and it permeates his entire being. David professes that God’s love is better than life. In other words, for David to know God’s love is better than his next breath. To live without that love is suffocating. Indeed, it is far better than the choicest meal. But how does David know this? Why is David so confident in this? Because David has already experienced it.
David has witnessed God sitting in his sanctuary; David has gazed upon God’s power and glory. As one who looks upon the sun is blinded, so God has burned his majesty into the mind of David. David cannot forget such awe and splendor; he is unable to remove its mark. And in his experience, David recognizes the security of God’s grasp on his life. It gives David confidence amid despair. In seasons of winter, God’s wing provides warmth and protects against the brutal wind. In spring, God revives him and gives him new life. Comfort from summer’s heat is found in the shadow of that wing. In times of plenty, David can rejoice. In moments of the barren desert, when he is spiritually parched and broken, David remains content in God’s unfailing love. David is able to withstand the desert because he has experienced the sanctuary.
When we have experienced God in the sanctuary, we are able to trust him in the desert.
When we have experienced God in the sanctuary, we are able to trust him in the desert. As we gaze upon the glory of God, it drenches us like a morning spring rain, giving us confidence in his faithfulness and unfailing love towards us. We know seasons will change—we expect them to—throughout our lives. Sometimes, they change instantly, while on other occasions, the change is barely noticeable. Regardless, we are certain that changes have occurred, and they will continue to do so. Yet, our ability to see and remember God in his sanctuary prepares us for these changes. His faithfulness gives us the ability to move forward without reservation or fear. It empowers us to live a life of love for ourselves and others. And though the seasons of life seem to lift us above the clouds one moment and plunge us to the depths of the sea the next, we can remain steadfast and sing for joy under the shelter of God’s wings. The sanctuary assures us that God is near in every season of our lives.