The Wholesome Space

“As long as the earth continues to be here,
the time for people to plant seeds will come each year.
The time for harvest will come each year.
Times of cold and heat will always come.
Summer and winter will always come.
Day and night will never stop.”

Genesis 8:22 (EASY)

The Bible makes it clear that life has different times and seasons. Just as we experience different seasons throughout the year, our lives also go through different seasons. There are times of planting, times of waiting, times of harvesting and, yes, times when we experience what feels like a long and difficult winter.

This blog article was inspired by a teaching I was privileged to share with God’s people at a ministry I am part of. When I was asked to give a short exhortation to the members, I took some time to meditate and ask God what He would have me share. This topic came my heart, and I am happy to share it here on The Wholesome Space as well.

This subject is also very personal to me because it is something the Lord has been teaching me lately as I navigate a not-so-smooth season in my own life.

There will be times when we invest, plant seeds and put in the work, but just like the principles of agriculture, we will not always see the rewards of our labour immediately. There is a time for planting and a time for harvest. After winter comes summer. This is one of the realities of life: seasons change, and none of us is exempt from experiencing difficult times.

But how do we navigate the difficult seasons? How do we remain steadfast when we cannot see the results of our efforts or when life does not seem to be going according to plan?

Let’s explore this together.

The Difficult Season

I would like us to look at the winter seasons of life: those difficult periods when things seem uncertain, when prayers appear unanswered, when progress feels slow and when we find ourselves facing challenges we never anticipated.

It can be difficult to imagine that such a season could have any benefits. How can something so uncomfortable, painful or challenging possibly work for our good?

I want you to consider this Scripture:

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2–4 (NIV)

When I began to understand this Scripture, I started looking at difficult situations differently. I realised that even in the middle of challenging experiences, something meaningful could be taking place within me.

In fact, I began thanking God, not necessarily for the difficult circumstances themselves, but for what He could produce in me through them.

This is an important shift in perspective. Instead of looking only at what we are going through, we can also begin to consider what our faith is producing as we walk through it.

The Benefits

The New King James Version of James 1:4 says, “But let patience have its perfect work.”

What is this perfect work?

Maturity and Spiritual maturity.
Character development and refinement.
The development of perseverance.
And the kind of growth that prepares us to carry the responsibilities and assignments God has entrusted to us.

Sometimes, we become so focused on getting out of a difficult season that we overlook what God may be developing in us while we are in it.

The Bible has never promised us a trouble-free life. In fact, Jesus Himself said that in this world we would have tribulation, but we should take heart because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

So when we encounter difficult experiences, we should not be surprised or conclude that something must be wrong with our walk with God.

In my walk with the Lord, I have learnt that He does not waste any experience. Whether a difficult situation arises from the enemy’s schemes, the actions of others, the realities of living in a fallen world or even my own mistakes and disobedience, God is able to work through it and teach me something.

This does not mean that everything that happens to us is good, or that we should remain in harmful situations. It means that even when things do not go as we hoped, we can trust God to work in us and lead us forward.

A Change of Perspective

When navigating these seasons, I encourage you to change your perspective.

Instead of asking only, “Why is this happening to me?”, take a moment to ask yourself, “What can I learn from this? What is God teaching me through this experience? How can I grow in my faith even while I am going through this?”

This is not about pretending that everything is okay when it isn’t. It is not about suppressing our emotions or denying that we are hurting. We see throughout Scripture that people of faith experienced grief, disappointment, fear and anguish. What matters is that we continue to turn to God even in those moments.

Remember Job?

When Job was stripped of almost everything he held dear, he experienced unimaginable pain and loss. His wife even encouraged him to curse God and die. Job grieved, questioned and expressed his anguish, but he continued to engage with God. Despite everything he experienced, he did not completely turn away from Him.

His story reminds us that faith does not mean we will never have questions or experience pain. Sometimes, faith is choosing to remain connected to God even when we do not understand what is happening around us.

The secret to enduring these trials and stormy seasons is to remain in Him.

Remain in His Word.
Remain in prayer.
Remain in meditation.
Continue to praise and worship Him.

Do not allow the difficult season to disconnect you from the very source of your strength.

Consider what the Psalmist says:

1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2 But his his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper. Psalm 1:1–3 (NKJV)

Remember, we mentioned seasons? The Psalmist tells us that the person who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night will be like a tree planted by rivers of water. This tree brings forth fruit in its season, and its leaves do not wither.

I love this illustration because it reminds us that the secret is not necessarily in the season we find ourselves in, but in where we are planted.

A tree planted by rivers of water has a constant source of nourishment. Its ability to remain fruitful is not dependent on favourable weather conditions alone. It is rooted and continually supplied with what it needs.

In the same way, when we remain rooted in God’s Word, we are continually nourished and strengthened, even when our circumstances are not favourable.

Notice also that the Scripture says the tree brings forth fruit in its season. There is a time for fruitfulness. There are processes that take place before the fruit becomes visible. Just because we cannot see the fruit yet does not mean that nothing is happening.

Perhaps you are in a season where you have been praying, planting seeds, working hard and trusting God, but you haven’t seen the results you hoped for. Don’t be discouraged. Remain planted. Remain in His Word. Continue to fellowship with Him.

Your difficult season does not have to be a wasted season. Allow God to mature you, refine your character and strengthen your faith as you journey through it.

And remember, just as Genesis 8:22 reminds us that seedtime and harvest, summer and winter will continue, seasons do change. You may not know when or how your circumstances will change, but you can trust the One who holds your times and seasons.

Whatever season you find yourself in, remain rooted in Him!