Post #20: A Season of Healing
Seasons Change, The Lord Does Not
"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." — Genesis 8:22 (NIV)
It is pretty amazing when you think about it . . . how the earth spins and tilts at just the right speed and angle so that the seasons know when to change. Like babies being born it is really just another confirmation that there must be a sovereign God who created all things, from the solar system to the human body. And, in fact, scripture confirms it.
“All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:3
I don’t do well with the heat of August, but I love the changing colors of the trees in the fall. God really shows off in October: the sunsets, the leaves, the cool air that changes our moods.
A true winter outside of the South would be rough for me but comforting knowing that spring is near. The rebirth of spring; maybe that is my favorite season.
Dr. Tommy Amason was my childhood doctor and was still in practice when I was raising my own children. He was a wonderful man who walked us through stitches and ear infections and throw-up bugs. Dr. Tommy was old school and I loved him. One of his favorite things to say in response to just about anything that was happening was “this too shall pass.” And just like the heat dome we had this summer, it all did pass. That phrase may sound like it came straight from the Bible, but it did not. They are just words that an old poet would say that we find comforting in the moment.
Probably the first thing that comes to mind about what the Bible has to say about seasons is the famous verses of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. You know the one . . . “There is a time for everything.” You are probably singing that song from The Byrds right now in your head. (Turn Turn Turn)
“There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal.
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.”
Ecclesiastes in the original Hebrew form means “one who convenes an assembly” or simply put, preacher. All of Ecclesiastes is a sermon written by David’s son, King Solomon, explaining to us that apart from God life is meaningless and empty. Solomon was a man who had everything he could ever want: wealth, power, wisdom – things were pretty good for him. But he recognized that it is all meaningless without God, and he felt so strongly about the subject that he wrote Ecclesiastes so all would know that our only true hope is found in the Lord.
Our life is full of seasons outside of the earth’s tilt and changing weather. We all go through them. We experience seasons of hardship and drought, of abundance and overflow. Seasons of doubt and uncertainty, of growth and optimism. God didn’t create these seasons for us like the others, but He is certainly with us through them all. He is sovereign over all time and because of that we can find comfort in our trials.
I have been in a Season of Healing.
Maybe our entire life is one big season of healing if you really think about it. Sin is our sickness. We are born with a sin-sick soul, and Jesus is our Great Physician for all that ails us. Thankfully, He bore that sickness on the cross.
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes, we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
He heals broken hearts. (Psalm 147:3)
He heals our spiritual wounds. (Matthew 11:28-30)
He heals our physical bodies. (Matthew 4:23-24)
And one day, He will heal this broken world. (Revelation 21:4)
Often these things happen simultaneously; at least they did for me. In my praying for physical healing, He sent spiritual growth. His plan is so much better than ours. He answers prayers in ways we don’t even know to ask.
Seasons change. Some last longer than others, but they don’t last. Praise the Lord, He does. What do we do with these ever-changing circumstances? How can each one enable growth? As we move through these kinds of seasons and learn from them, it is then we can help others navigate through them as fellow Christians.
When Johnny got sick in 2020, I read a chapter in a book about healing prayers. It inspired me to write a prayer for Johnny that we read together regularly. It was a key to our growth during that time. God gave me those words, and then I adapted and shared them for more than a dozen other people, mostly people who had received a cancer diagnosis. God inspired me to write those words that then pointed others to Jesus. And He is doing it again. He is weaving the perfect, beautiful tapestry through answered prayers and His will to use the experiences and people in my life to point others to Jesus.
This particular time has taught me much and given me brand new opportunities. I started writing for my grown kids, to put into words the comfort and peace I was experiencing. My daughter encouraged me to share those words and so this blog began. I have never been inclined to do anything like this before. And even now, when I think of how He is working through me, I am amazed. I read back over something I have written and realize that did not come from me. My hands wrote it, but the Lord is working through me and it is an incredible feeling to let Him. My prayer is that these words might point someone towards Jesus.
My season of healing has not come to an end. It will end when I am whole with Jesus. I will continue to heal and grow all the days of my life. I am thankful I am cancer free and that this particular season these past six months has given me a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow and share. I will continue as the Lord leads me to write for whomever may want to read it in whatever season they are living.
Prayer
Lord, you are El Shaddai, God Almighty and creator of all things. You put the earth in motion and knitted each of us together. Without You, life is meaningless. We thank You, Lord, that the seasons change but You remain steadfast and faithful by our sides, carrying us, giving meaning to this life. James 4:8 claims that when we draw near to You, You will draw near to us. We praise You that when we seek You we will find You. We pray now for those who are walking through difficult seasons. May they draw close to You and remember that Yours is the KINGDOM and the POWER and the GLORY forever.
A Song for Your Day: Every Season by Canyon Hills Worship
