Seasons

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven" (Eccles 3:1)

Autumn was in bloom, leaves heeded the call of destiny as they donned new coats of red and brown making the evergreens look more jealous than ever. Falling softly to the ground the leaves seemed joyous, even though this was their funeral they knew they had served their purpose and gladly embraced the end. The trees mourned in their nakedness, arms stretched heavenward in yearning for more children to grace their branches. In due season however the leaves would return, when winter gave birth to spring, they would return.

Just as God has placed seasons in nature He has also placed them in our lives; perhaps reading this you are a young teenager excited about growing up and finally receiving the freedom you should have received years ago, perhaps you are a young adult cradling this freedom in your arms, slowly realising it seems to be made up of bills and complicated relationships, maybe you're middle-aged and finally getting on top of the bills and the relationship is well settled but the kids are driving you crazy about something called freedom, or maybe you are elderly, staring at your grandchildren wondering what that phrase "we have all the time in the world" actually means.

No matter what season of our lives we find ourselves living we are seeking something, something inside us yearns, the youth seeks freedom, the adult seeks success, the middle-aged seek comfort, the elderly seek time. All of these are obtainable except time of course but even if it were, it would not satisfy. That which does satisfy was mentioned many years ago by Jesus Christ.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matt 6:33)

We in our wisdom tend to turn this verse around and seek everything in life first. We decide in our minds that God can wait, His righteousness can wait. We tell ourselves that we will get around to it, someday. The problem my friend is this, if someday turns into tomorrow, tomorrow will turn into the day after, and the day after will turn into someday once again. A vicious circle forms and you are caught inside it.

My point is that all this makes today very important indeed. Today you are alive, you live and breathe and play a part in the gift that is your life. Today you can seek the Kingdom of God and you can have His righteousness.

"But now the righteousness of God is revealed apart from the law.....even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe" (Rom 3:21)

In order to obtain the Kingdom of God and His righteousness you must simply put your faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone. But what does this mean; many people say "Yes I believe" but go around swearing, lying and blaspheming His name. They believe alright but unfortunately their belief is laced with hypocrisy, they consider themselves righteous by their own standards, not the standard of God. His standard is absolute perfection. Raise your hand now if you have attained it.

The fact that our hand stays down surely must tell us something. We don't quite cut it, we can't. This is the key of the cross on which Jesus hung. He was perfect, he had no sin, he died because of sins we have committed in order that we would be made perfect by true belief and true repentance.

"..if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom 10:9-10)

This confession is not made to men but to God, it was His son on the cross no one else's, no one else loves us that much.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9)

If you believe in your heart then simply tell Him with your mouth. Read the following sentence very carefully and then decide whether or not you can say it with your mouth, even before men. If you can, then mean every syllable and rejoice for you will have the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and will experience a season like no other.

Jesus, I believe you died for my sins, dear God please forgive me. Amen.

"Behold now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2b)

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Trevor Slattery is a Lay Pastor and a newspaper columnist in Ireland Co. Tipperary.