Prisoners of One Season

“Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”

Psalm 30:5 (NIV)

A man had four sons and he wanted them to learn not to judge things too quickly. He set them down and told them, “I'm going to send each of you out in different seasons of the year, and I want you to study the pear tree. Then you’ll report back about what you find. The first son will go out in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in the summer, and the fourth in the fall.”

The sons went out in their respective seasons and made their observations. When they came back, the father sat them down and asked them to describe what they had seen. The first son said, “When I went out there and looked at that pear tree, I saw that it was ugly. It was bent over, gnarled, and twisted. Frankly, I don't know why you sent me out there. It was a waste of time.”

The second son said, “No, no, no. When I went out, that tree was covered with green buds. It was full of promise. I was glad I went.”

The third son chimed in, “When I went out there and looked at that tree, it was laden with blossoms. It smelled so sweet. It looked so beautiful. It was the most graceful thing I'd ever seen in my life.”

The last son chuckled. He said, “Well, I'm glad I went out last, because I didn’t see what you all saw. When I went out there, that tree was ripe and drooping with fruit. It was full of life and fulfillment. And the fruit was good to eat.”

The father laughed when he looked around the table at his four sons because he knew that each of them were prisoners of one season.

And then he taught them: “You cannot judge a tree’s life by one of its seasons. You have to be with it through all of the seasons in order to make a determination about it.” The same is true for our lives.

Some of us have been withholding praise and worship because we are prisoners of one season. You feel like because you are struggling in one season, God can’t be praised until your season changes. Well, the devil is a liar, and that is one of his lies.

You’ve got to stick around long enough to know that weeping endures but for a night, but joy comes in the morning. God is worthy of your praise no matter what season of life you find yourself in. He isn’t finished with you yet. Just wait and see what God is going to do!