As I write this, autumn has arrived, both on the calendar and in the cooler temperatures. I see the increasing evidence in the changing hue of leaves, the changing landscape of harvested fields, and the changing outfits as more and more jackets make their appearance. For some, the fall season is a joy, bringing God’s awesome color artistry, a break from the heat of summer, and a celebration of crops gathered and the growing season completed. For others, autumn’s arrival is an unwelcome reminder that winter is on the way, a hint of brokenness and bleakness as cooler winds bring shivers and falling leaves, exposing the bare branches left behind.
Indeed, for many of us, it may be some combination of both—a mix of both anticipation and vague dread, a reminder of beginnings and endings past and yet to come. As such, autumn is a reflection of how the constant transitions of life can stir a longing in our hearts for a sense of certainty, a solid foundation that will stand up to the winds of change.
For Christians, that certainty is found in God’s invariable character and purposes. In response to the evil one’s whisper that “all is random and meaningless, chance and change,” Ecclesiastes 3:1 assures us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” A bit later in that passage, Ecclesiastes 3:11 states, “God has made everything beautiful in its time.”
We Christ-followers need not panic in times of uncertainty and instability because our Heavenly Father who loves us is still working His plan and accomplishing His purposes, even when we might not perceive it. As Romans 8:28 declares, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
As for that underlying sense of unsettledness we so often feel, perhaps God allows it to remind us that this present broken world is not our home nor destination, so we ought not become too comfortable in it. The second half of Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “God has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” That “echo of eternity” resonates with the promise of greater relationship, purpose, and fulfillment with God yet to come for all of us who know Jesus as Savior, a “heart longing” that keeps us from becoming too enamored with this present broken world.
I’ll close by asking you to ponder this quote from C.S. Lewis, taken from his book The Problem with Pain. “The settled happiness and security which we all desire…would teach us to rest our hearts in this world…. a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bathe or a football match, have no such tendency. Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but he will not encourage us to mistake them for home.”
Autumn blessings to all of you!