T-86

We know from the Bible (and from a popular folk song) that there is a season to everything. Okay, so the song just took the biblical truths from Ecclesiastes and got it onto the radio! The Bible is the authority after all! God has assigned seasons to everything and it’s one of those fundamental concepts of creation.

So it was for the men of Israel as they explored the land of Canaan. They were there for a season. We see this in… Numbers 13:25 (NIV)
25 At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land.
[1]
I must admit that I don’t fully understand the significance of ‘forty days’ and that’s probably fodder for an eight-week Bible study! Nonetheless, I do know that ‘forty days’ appears twenty times in Scripture beginning with the flood in Genesis and ending with the earthly manifestation of the risen Christ in Acts. Although I do not grasp the deeper meaning, I do recognize it as a season. Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai during which he received The Law and the spies spent forty days in Canaan examining and contemplating God’s promise to their nation and people. About this, I observe that at the end of this season, the ‘spies’ returned to their people to give their report or testimony.

As it so happens, we are now in the season of Lent. A forty day period, leading into Easter, marked by fasting and sacrifice that helps observers participate in and connect to the forty days that Christ spent in the wilderness fasting and facing temptation. At the end of his own season of temptation, Christ returned to his people, in the power of the Spirit, and began a new season of teaching. For those observing Lent, at the end of their season of fasting and sacrifice, they will break their fast and begin the Easter season of rejoicing and praise.

Everything in our lives turns with the creation-rhythm of seasons. You may find yourself in a season of famine right now or perhaps you are in a season of feasting. All around you are people going through their own seasons and all people have this in common. Understanding the fact of seasons helps to sustain us through the lean season and keeps us humble in the fat season. This is recorded in Scripture for this very purpose; that we may be faithful.

The ‘spies’ were faithful to their charge to go into the land of Canaan to observe, analyze, seize and explore. When their season was over, a new season began. But that’s for us to consider tomorrow.

Today, consider the season you are in. Identify the lessons and opportunities and treasure them up in your heart. Look around you for those who may be entering the same season and share with them that they may endure their season with faith and obedience. Consider that you have seen the Promised Land of eternity in Christ Jesus and be prepared to give your report. We’re spies for Christ… pssst… pass it on.

In His Grip,
Carl

[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.