The text before us is a delight for many people, particularly at offering time. Typically, it is stressed that without sowing there cannot be harvest; and the more we sow the more we reap. While giving is both fundamental and incontrovertible, it is not the context of that scripture. It serves a greater interest if we see the text as God introducing seasons or cycles into man’s existence. Seedtime is a season, and so is harvest time. Except in the tropics where the temperature is relatively the same, winter and summer alternate annually. Beyond its application to geography and weather patterns, the scripture also helps us to know that our lives revolve around seasons. Life is not static.
This truth has a dual significance. Firstly, it teaches us to be ready. For example, once we know that the cold season would come, it is a step in wisdom to prepare warm clothing. Proverbs 31 speaks of the virtuous woman who does not need to worry about the snow time. “She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet.” (Proverbs 31:21 NKJV). We have little to worry about the season for which we are adequately prepared. Secondly, knowing that life is in seasons, we will do well to determine what opportunity or task is assigned to each season and respond appropriately. “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV). If we miss the time for a particular thing, it may leave us struggling for a long time before we get our rhythm back.