OCTOBER 29 - Autumn years

“LORD, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (Psalm 90:1-2).

My childhood autumns hold precious memories—tramping through the falling leaves from the larch tree by the garden path, and the sound of the church bells echoing down the lane as the first frost cleared the air. Hot chocolate by the fire with my parents, listening to the radio, and best of all—helping to feed and groom the horses on a local farm. I loved it!

The autumn of life, like my childhood, is a strange mixture of nostalgia, blessings, and potential. It's a time of reaping some of what we’ve sown throughout life, and it braces us for colder days to come. It's a time when we are mature enough to look back and better understand the way God has led us; yet there is still work to be done—it’s a good transition time.

“Autumn” only occurs once in the Bible. In Jude 1:12 false teachers are compared to “autumn trees without fruit,” implying that autumn should be a fruitful season, the most abundant of the year. How can we take advantage of the “autumn of life”?

Seasons come and go, but God remains unchanged and unchanging. Many of the changes our world offers are, to the Christian, unwelcome changes. Moral and societal changes are thrust in our faces whenever we turn on our television or glance at a magazine. We’re painfully aware our kids are growing up in a world far different to the one we knew as children.

Then there are the personal changes—children leave home, loved ones die, and our get up and go got up and left when we weren't looking. But we can rest secure in the knowledge that despite all the changes, one thing, one Person, never changes—our eternal God. Remember this verse from “Abide with Me”?

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away; Change and decay in all around I see; O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
--Henry F. Lyte

J. I. Packer points out that God does not change. His life is always the same. His character is always dependable. His truth, ways, and purposes do not change. His Son does not change. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

The world may fade, the stars may fall, the seasons may change, and winter may come. But the God who has been our help in ages past will remain our hope for years to come. We will enjoy His fellowship a million years from now. In Him we have permanence, stability, joy unshakable, and life unending.

Despite the setbacks along the way, we have God's promise, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten. . . . You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God” (Joel 2:25-26).

The autumn of life is a great time to focus on God’s wonderful blessings—family, friends, strength, shelter, provision, guidance, care, fruitful ministry, opportunities to serve, more time to pray and study His Word, and eternal life still to come. Life’s autumn, brings with it a richer perspective so we can count more blessings than ever before.

Autumn is a good time for us to focus on our commitment to God. Some of the saddest words in the Bible are in Jeremiah 8:20, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” If you’ve never made a commitment to Jesus Christ, do it now, while there is still time.

If you are a follower of Christ, remember to remain close to Him during the shifting seasons of life.

During autumn, we all know that winter lies ahead, but if winter comes, can spring be far behind?

“Bread Upon the Water” is today's music. Click on the picture to listen.