The Reason for the Season

2020 has been a particularly hard time for a lot of people. But there is a reason for the season. 1 Peter 1:6, "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations." A season is a temporary point in time that's anchored by a event or characteristic. The season of winter is characterized by short days, cold, snow, while baseball seasons has less to do with the weather, but balls and strikes. When the characteristic is over, so is the season. It's temporary. Peter looks at pitiful, sad, state of God's people who were enduring heavy trials and temptations and reminds them, their struggle is a season. It's just a little while longer. That's a comfort, but that's not the only comfort, or even the main thing here. Many trials will follow us our whole life, and come to an end when we leave this world. The main comfort here is our trials are temporary but also necessary. There is a reason for the season of suffering.

I believe in the absolute sovereignty of God. The Lord declared, from before the world was created, the end of all things and ordained it to come to pass. God's plan will stand. God will do what He pleases and all He pleases. The Lord not only declares it, but will bring it to pass (Isaiah 46:9-11). Even the bad times? Yes, even the bad times. It's an odd theology to have a God who only does the things we want Him to do and would never do anything that we would object to. Peter understood the Lord often does things we don't understand or that we would rather not see happen. We must submit to His will and have faith if we "need be" go through a hard season. Why do bad things happen to God's people? Because they are necessary. The temporary season is needed, and designed in the plan of our Heavenly Father. Do we doubt Him?

How could bad times be needful or necessary? For God's people, Peter says in verse seven, "the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." God sends us hard seasons to try our faith. Hardships put our faith to the test for our benefit, to strengthen our faith in Jesus. The trial has more value to you than pure gold in light of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Trials for the Christian should bring us to Christ, and focus our hearts on him, who, though we haven't seen with our eyes, love in our hearts. Even so, come Lord Jesus.


Now would be a good time to stop murmuring and remember there is a reason for this season, and for God's children, it will work out for our good (Romans 8:28).