Romans 5:6
⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. (NIV)

At just the right time.

The Lord has given us seasons to understand better how He moves. At the appointed season, the Lord came. Let’s consider the environment in which Christ was born, lived, died, and rose again. Under the dominance of the Roman government, there was a season of financial and social oppression from the Romans. Yet, there was still religious freedom to allow Christ to expose the hypocrisy. And it was a time when the brutality of the Romans allowed for Christ to be smitten by God to a degree harsh enough to cover the world’s sin. It was the appointed season.

Seasons reflect the activity needed to produce a crop ripening at the perfect time of temperature and moisture. There are seasons of planting, seasons of gathering, and seasons of rest. But every season plays a role in producing the healthiest crop year after year.

We enjoy the harvest season. To see the fruit of God’s work in our life puts a smile on our faces and joy in our hearts. But those other seasons are less remarkable. The planting season requires hard work to break through the density of our field. The resting season can also seem great because there is no work, but there is also no fruit. It is hard when we know nothing is happening. Yet, God uses them all to create the perfect moment for the best fruit. And this is how He moves.

We live and pray for the season of bounty when everything is good. But that season doesn’t exist without the planting and resting seasons. When Christ came, the field was being plowed. The seeds were being planted. The weeds were being pulled up. It was not the best of times, though. It was pure turmoil ending in the torture of our Lord. Yet, it gave us the season of the Spirit where the fruit was bountiful.

God is always doing the right thing, allowing what is necessary in every season of our life to produce the most fruit. When we see the world in seasons, we know that even when things are rough or God seems to be doing nothing, He is doing exactly what is necessary to produce the best fruit at just the right time.

Prayer: Lord, teach me to accept the seasons trusting You are working toward a rich harvest in my life. Amen.