Lord of All Seasons

Elizabeth Elliot Devotional

Title: Lord of All Seasons

A few years ago I spoke to a group of women in
Florida about Jesus Christ being "Lord of All
Seasons." The topic was their choice, and I found
myself, as usual, tested along the very lines on
which I was going to speak. During the previous
week, Lars and I had learned that all
twenty-eight of the nice new (and very expensive)
windows we had installed in our new house leaked.
I was anxious about many things--my mother's
health, my coming grandchild, a new word
processor which I wasn't sure I was smart enough
to learn to use, and (alas!) a tooth which seemed
about to fall out. What a list of varied things
to worry about.

But Jesus died for me! He's risen and coming
again! He has given me an inheritance that
nothing can "destroy or spoil or wither" (1 Peter
1:4, NEB) and a Kingdom which is unshakable
(Hebrews 12:28). That's the gospel. Has it
anything to do with leaking windows, computers,
grandchildren, teeth? Well, I told myself, if it
hasn't, you've got no business getting up in
front of those women and opening your mouth at
all. If I can't give thanks, trust, and worship
the Lord in every "season," in the face of any
set of facts which may touch my life, I am not
really a believer. It is here, in my corner of
God's earth, that I am assigned my lessons in the
School of Faith.

P.S. Later: They fixed the windows for us, but
then we found that all four of the outside doors
needed to be fixed. God hadn't finished with us
yet.