Spiritual Seasons

Are there Spiritual seasons -- periods of growth and dormancy?

As long as the earth remains, there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night." Genesis 8:22

Well, from a scientific point of view, the above statement is true. In order for the earth to function properly, it must revolve around the sun and it must rotate on its axis. Therefore during earth's life as we know it, there will always be seasons, polar opposites, daylight, and dark.

What is spiritual SPRING?
It is a time of awakening and new growth. Sometimes it is when we have first come to a saving knowledge of the Lord that we find ourselves in springtime. But spring doesn't only come once in our spiritual lifetime. Sometimes the best growth spiritually comes after a hard pruning or a time of dormancy. But spiritual growth requires sunshine (or sonshine) and rain (living water) and God supplies them both.

Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.  Zechariah 10:1

Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear.... Hosea 6:3 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! II Corinthians 5:17

SUMMER?
Summer is a time to sink the roots down deep into the spiritual soil -- to become well-grounded and strengthened.

The waters nourished it, deep springs made it grow tall; their streams flowed all around its base and sent their channels to all the trees of the field.  Ezekiel 31:4 

It was majestic in beauty, with its spreading boughs, for its roots went down to abundant waters. Ezekiel 31:7

The Lord called you a thriving olive tree with fruit beautiful in form.... Jeremiah 11:16

AUTUMN?
This season is marked by the falling away of things from our lives -- hurts, habits, hangups, etc. When we listen to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to cut some things away, that can be painful and yet liberating. Autumn is also typically a time to separate the good from the bad -- the seed from the chaff.

The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. Psalm 67:6

The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Psalm 85:19

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  I John 1:9 

His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.  Luke 3:17 

WINTER?
Winter brings rest and peace. It may be a bit dark and cold, but it should remind us of our dependence upon God and that He is in control.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darknes has not overcome it.  John 1:5

...even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day for darkness is as light to you.  Psalm 139:12

Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.  Psalm 46:10 

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:  He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.  Psalm 37:5-6

Trust in the Lord foreer, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.  Isaiah 26:4 

Yes, because of our human nature, we find ourselves in various seasons spiritually as our lives progress. It is important to keep our focus on the Lord no matter which season we are in. We should look to the positive in our current season and look forward to what the Lord will bring in the next. And we should take comfort in knowing that He is in control.