A God for all Seasons
A God for all SeasonsAs the result of a vision, the prophet Daniel burst into words of praise to God, (Dan 2:20,21)declaring that ’wisdom and power are his’. He goes on to make the statement ’He changes times and seasons’.Our times are changing—we’ve moved into a new year, two thousand and fourteen on from Christ’s first coming.We’re well and truly in the season of winter—even if the weather seems to want to anticipate March storms and April showers by bringing us gale force winds and torrential downpours. Yet in some ways, things don’t seem to change very much from one day to another, and one year to the next. But God has the power to change times and seasons. I believe, as an answer to prayer for instance, he changed the weather for Dec 20th so that we had a fine day for our carols in the New St garden, while either side of it the weather was appallingly wet and windy.The 18th century Bible commentator, John Gill notes re Dan 2:21, ’he changeth the times and the season,…. Not only of day and night, summer and winter, and times and seasons of prosperity and adversity; but all the changes and revolutions in states and kingdoms, in all times and ages, are from him’.
But while God in creation made day and night, summer and winter, he made clear that mankind cannot change or adjust the timetable he has for this world and for his people in particular. Jesus told his disciples in Acts 1:7 “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you”. His people need to be serving him as they wait for the time of their Lord’s return.
And Paul writing to the Thessalonian church (Thess 5:1-3) says ‘Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night’.
God is in charge of times, dates, seasons. We must simply seek to be faithful as we await his return.
And the encouragement is found in our theme verse for 2014, that in everything God works for the good of his people. He IS in control; never fear.
Steve Piggott
Elder
Jan 2014