As long as you and I have been living on this planet called Earth, we've been aware of the different types of seasons that exist. We've also been exposed to various elements of time.
Seasons familiar to us are Spring, Summer, Fall (also known as Autumn in certain circles) and Winter. Yet not all places will experience each of these seasons: northern countries will normally have extended times of colder weather and abbreviated moments of warmth; whereas southern areas will be exposed to more heat and less frigid temperatures. There are places on the planet where the seasons are so partitioned that one can detect the changes tangibly; however, there may be other parts of the world where the seasons overlap in such a subtle manner that it's not as detectable.
Where I am in Florida, USA, Fall and Winter are practically non-existent. There's no snowfall or changing colors of the leaves.... unless, perhaps, on those very rare occasions where that may occur in the northern tip of the state.
In contrast, in Alaska, several miles away in the topmost sector of the USA, the winter season can be quite long, as are its nights when the sun may seem to be non-existent.
But can Times and Seasons be two interchangeable terms?
Seasons tend to be cyclical, time-dependent and tend to be fixed segments.
Times, on the other hand, are more varied, enduring for a brief moment or considerably extended.
Times are attributed to certain events that appear during the course of our lives. We have times in our life where we may celebrate a birthday, an anniversary, a graduation or a festival of some sort. There are also times of mourning when we grieve the loss of someone who is close and dear to us.
When we are born, each person is given a lifetime by our Creator. For some, it may be brief, as in months, yet for others it may be several years. How many babies, that have been born to parents, have failed to live beyond their expected lifetime, which the Bible states is threescore and ten years (namely, seventy years)? And yet, how many adults, particularly seniors, have surpassed that number in age? Time, for each person in this case, is unknown to us but is only known by the One who assigned it.
The Bible mentions that there is a time to be born and a time to die, so there's that. The Book of Ecclesiastes has an entire chapter attributed to the times of man, giving examples of such.
We, as earth-bound beings, live within a timeline.
God, in contrast, as a Spirit, lives outside of those borders and is limitless, ageless and eternal.
But, you may ask: are we not eternal as well, since we do have a spirit within us?
Or maybe you were not aware of this.
Yes, we are eternal because the Spirit of God lives within us.
If you think about it, as a tripartite being (having 3 entities), we live in a physical body, we possess a soul having emotions and a will, and we are also spirit, having the breath or essence of God in us. Therefore, although we may die when our earthly time runs out on this planet, our spirit, which is that breath or essence of God, will live on forever.... in eternity.
This earth is not our permanent home. It is more of a temporary "time tank" that holds us here for a brief moment. There's another realm in the great beyond where we will spend our eternal life... either with God, or without Him. With Him in heaven, or without Him, in hell. There's a freedom of choice which He has given to us all.
Imagine it! God, in His love for mankind, has given us earthly seasons to enjoy. He has also provided special times during our lives where we can get to know Him in the here-and-now, so that we can live with Him forever in the here-after.
A Time and Season for Preparation:
Nobody knows how long it is that we have on this earth. Every day someone dies, and every day a baby is born. Life is cyclical like that.
However, there's one thing that's not cyclical and it is the decision we make regarding where we will spend the rest of eternity.
The Bible states that it is appointed unto man once to die and then the judgment. There's no reincarnation; no return to earth as something else. Death comes once, and when it knocks on your door, you will have to answer the call. The question is, when you exit this earth-veiled door, through which passageway will you go? The one that leads to heaven with God, or the one that leads to hell without Him?
Prepare to meet your God.... face to face, because He will want to know, on that day, your reason for choosing or rejecting Him. He's giving us a time of preparation in this season. Make it one, at the end of which, you will have no regrets...
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