An Unending Season (Friday Devotional)

For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

- Isaiah 54:10

Peas just aren’t as fun as tomatoes.

That seems to be my son’s verdict based on his reaction the last few times he’s gone to look at my dad’s garden. You see, for the last few months, it was his job and his joy to help Grandad pick tomatoes off the vine, something he did virtually every time he was at my parents’ house. Andrew loved doing it, to the point where on a few occasions we came over strictly so he could get some time in the garden.

So when tomato season inevitably drew to a close, Grandad did his best to ease the transition by having Andrew help him plant peas where the tomato vines once grew. Excited at first, Andrew quickly lost interest in the planting—and sure enough, every time we go to Grandma and Grandad’s, he continues to ask if there will be tomatoes to pick. We’ve probably explained five times now that tomato season is over and that soon he’ll be able to pick peas instead, but his face says it all: he’s not interested in making a change.

We’re all like Andrew in that regard—there are certain things we want to always stay the same, certain things we wish would last forever. Nobody likes it when their favorite restaurant shuts down or their favorite athlete retires; nobody wants to see their best friend move across the country or their parents grow old. We all understand that change is a part of life, but that doesn’t mean we always like it.

So there’s reassurance in knowing that, whatever else changes, God’s love remains as steadfast today as yesterday. No matter what may come in the future, God promises that He will be with us in the midst of it, that His love is everlasting. Situations, events, and people may change, but His love never fails us.

In an ever-changing world, we can’t help but look for something or someone to hang onto, something stronger and sturdier than we are. The world offers a host of options, but none can truthfully promise what the Lord does: his love endures forever. Most of life changes like the seasons, but God’s love is an unending season.