I remember while living up north that I looked forward to the changing of seasons. The spring buds and the summer warmth was delightful. I loved to watch the fall colors, and even the winter snow was beautiful. They were all part of a constantly changing cycle. Florida also has changing seasons: snowbird season, hurricane season, construction season, and of course mosquito and no-see-um season.
The psalmist speaks of the gladness that people have when they are going through a pleasant season in their life. Psalm 4:7 tells us: “You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased”. In an agricultural setting, people prospered greatly whenever the crops were abundant. This brought people joy and gladness. That is a principle that is seen today also. When we are prospering financially, when we are healthy physically, when we are advancing in our job, and when we are peaceful in our relationships we are filled with gladness.
However, seasons do change. Sometimes we are sick. Sometimes relationships get broken, and sometimes we experience some type of crop failure and then our joy is gone. Our gladness dries up. Yet David tells us that his gladness doesn’t depend on the changing seasons of life. He has another source of joy. Psalm 4:7 declares that God put gladness in David’s heart. He had a source of joy that the rest of the world knew nothing about.
In John 4 the disciples were urging Jesus to take time to eat since they were so busy ministering to stop for food. Jesus told them in v32: “But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know”. His food, His sustenance, was doing the will of His Father.
Like David, and like our Lord we too can have a secret source of joy that does not depend on the changing seasons of life. Our sweet fellowship with our Savior can keep us filled with joy no matter what. We can receive His gladness even during the changing seasons.
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