God in Every Season: Faithful Yesterday, Today, and Forever
Written By: Leila Corban, Drop-In Centre Volunteer
If Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), then God is indeed with us in every season. A year takes us through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and if we miss winter, then our year is shortchanged. And, of course, there can be some gorgeous days in winter. In 1963, after three years of cancer, my mother died not long after her 56th birthday. I was just twenty-two. During that devastating loss, the embrace of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, was tangible. For several days, it was as though a bubble was protecting me.
By the time my father was on his deathbed with bowel cancer a decade or so later, I had been baptised in the Holy Spirit and had a much better understanding of God’s power to heal and how we can be proactive in calling on the Lord. A friend and I had one of his handkerchiefs prayed over (see Acts 19:11-12), and with permission from the hospital, several of us prayed over Dad with the hanky on his tummy. The anointing on my hands was so electric that I could not lift them off his abdomen. Praise God, He gave my father another six months to attend to necessary things.
An old-style white cargo truck that has canvas sides in the rear with rectangular openings that serve as windows, which can be tied up for ventilation and to let passengers see out.
Isaiah 43:2 encourages us, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” Someone wrote that Daniel never prayed for the lions to go away. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego never prayed for the fire to go away. David never prayed for the giant to go away. Instead, they trusted that God would show up in the midst of their trials. Through trials and challenges, we can grow stronger.
Whatever the season, it is beneficial to be intentional in our thoughts and actions. In 1983-84 with 16 others from several nations, I overlanded from London to Johannesburg on the back of an adapted truck. Whenever the truck stopped, we took turns to guard it. Due to the heat, the flexible windows were usually tied up, and curious crowds would often gather around the vehicle. On our first day in Niamey, Niger, one of the guys forgot that he had been rostered onto guard duty with me.
A duffle bag, containing my purse, passport, camera and other valuables, was on the floor of the truck out of sight from the crowd milling around. Suddenly, a black face appeared over the side of the truck. Disregarding my protests, the youth continued to advance. He kept climbing until the third “Descendez s’il vous plait!” (Get down, please!)
A truck is stuck on a muddy road, and a man is trying to dig the wheels out.
Immediately, I sensed another individual behind me. I turned as he leaned across the seat and grabbed my bag. In an instant, he was metres away with my precious gear. A moment later, I shouted to him in English, a language he probably didn’t know! Pointing at his disappearing figure, I boomed, “You bring that bag back here in the name of Jesus Christ!” The young thief halted in his tracks, ran back to the truck, flung the vital baggage aboard, and vanished from the scene. Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
I pray that whatever season we are in, we will all know the enabling and close presence of our God.