Autumn is now upon us and we thank God for giving us a good summer this year; for the warmth of the sun and the beautiful blue skies; and we celebrate all these wonderful gifts from God through our Harvest Festivals which we celebrate in our churches at this time of year; decorating them with produce and provisions from God himself.
But rapidly advancing upon us is the ‘busy season’ when it is so easy to get stressed with shopping for Christmas, tidying the garden and preparing it for next spring etc. and we forget that God gave us a season for everything, not just seasons of varying weather, but seasons of life.
We will all experience times of hardship, perhaps an illness ourselves or someone in our family or a friend. We might feel angry with God for something which goes wrong or when someone we love dies. People ask “Why has God done this?” Please be assured God does not single out anyone to hurt, annoy or embarrass. Things go wrong in our bodies. Sometimes we know why, but often we don’t and the medical profession can’t always give us the answer.
If you are reading this and are feeling that life’s not good just now, remember that Jesus was born to save us all from sin and gave us God’s promise of eventually having eternal life with him if we believe; an eternity where ‘there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.’ [Revelation 21:4, NIV]
Life is hard and believing is not an insurance policy or a promise that life will be easy and plain sailing, but it is a promise that, through the Holy Spirit, we can cope and can receive the peace that passes all understanding. We have been given life to enjoy in all its fullness and that has nothing to do with money or possessions. God knows what we need. So, whatever you are planning to do this coming season,
include Jesus in your plans and receive his peace.
Blessings,
Revd. Steve