Seasons fascinate me. Living in the English countryside, I count myself as blessed to be able to watch the seasons come and go in great detail. Each season is distinct in nature and each has aspects that I love, and which intrigue me.
Autumn is upon us. The nights are drawing in, the temperatures are falling and the rains are more frequent. The trees and hedgerows are exploding with a warm array of autumnal colour and a bountiful harvest crop: rose hips, haws, acorns, apples, sloes, berries and nuts. Birds eat their fill to be in the best shape to survive winter, or fly to warmer climates. Animals store supplies and prepare places to hibernate or hunker down when the colder times arrive. We humans have similar instincts, drawn to warmth and comfort as winter approaches.
What can we learn from the season of autumn and the change which it brings?
Autumn fall
As the leaves change colour, die and fall away from the trees, we too can have seasons when the old needs to fall away. Sometimes we can be unwilling to let go of what has gone before: old ways that have failed us, things that were familiar but have become tired, withered and unfit for use. When we let go and allow ourselves to be stripped of what is no longer useful or helpful, we can feel bare for a while.
When God does this in our lives, then it is always for our benefit. God is faithful and good, and if we trust him and follow him then he will, in his time, give us fresh growth — vibrant and fit for its purpose. In a similar way, as we confess our sins and failures to God, then they will fall away from us as we ask for and receive forgiveness from him. We will no longer be held back by the dead leaves, but will be free to experience new growth and greater maturity.
Harvest provision
In the church calendar, harvest is celebrated around the time that autumn begins. At ‘harvest festival’ time we thank God for his provision, for the crops that have been safely gathered in, for his faithfulness in so many ways. Every farmer knows that he can prepare the soil and plant the seed, but it will not grow, thrive and produce a good crop without sunshine, rain and warmth at the right times.
You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with corn, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. Psalm 65: 9-10
Jesus taught us how to pray for the provision of our daily bread. God will provide what we need when we ask him, and not just our material needs. Perhaps more importantly, he provides the resources we need for all of life.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3
The Lord of the harvest, the Lord of all creation, the Lord of heaven and earth is the great provider. Winter will come, the lean and barren times will come, hardship and tribulation will come, trial and persecution will come, death itself will come … but that is not the end of the story! Spring follows winter, bringing new life and hope. Resurrection overcomes death; Jesus rose from the dead, defeating the power of sin, evil and death once and for all. His kingdom will come, his will will be done on earth as in heaven, and he will return. What a promise! What a hope we have — a certain hope secured by the blood of Jesus.
Challenging times
I wonder if there are lessons to learn from autumn not just for us individually, but also for our communities and nations. We are going through times of great change and turmoil, certainly in my nation. Political instability, war, cultural upheaval, change in our monarchy, financial strain and no end of media narratives to scare, depress and paralyse the population.
Perhaps these days are a wake-up call for the West, and indeed for the Western church. The lazy summer days of plenty are over. We need to recognise that autumn is here and winter is coming. Leaner, harder times are coming but are we wise enough to prepare? Are we nimble enough to adapt? Are we resilient enough to endure? Are we humble enough to repent and ask God for help?
We may look to human leaders and the world’s systems for answers, but they will fail and disappoint us. There is only one place where the answers lie, where hope, freedom and salvation can be found, and that is with God. Much of the West has rejected God, and the results of that choice are abundantly clear in every direction. Our western society is arguably more greedy, more wealthy, more unhealthy, more selfish, more hedonistic, more depressed and more lonely than ever before. Broken relationships, addictions, pornography, excess prescription medications, casual sex, abortion, crime, unemployment — these are all common place. We no longer seem to be able to see how destructive these things are to our families and our communities. We reject God’s ways and God’s order for our lives in favour of this?
There is so much more to life if only we would turn back to God. He loves us, he longs for us to come to him, to repent and turn away from our foolish, sinful and destructive ways and to follow Jesus and be transformed by him. If we do this, if our families do this, if our communities do this, if our nation does this — then, because God is faithful, he will be merciful to us and we will receive the forgiveness, grace and peace that comes only from him. This is how lives, families, communities and nations can be transformed.
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles: 14
God of the harvest, our creator and provider, is beckoning to us. Autumn is here. Will we recognise the season? Will we listen to God’s voice and respond?