Every season God gives us carries a message. Just as spring reminds us of new life and summer of growth, autumn preaches its own sermon. The fall season – with its harvest, cooler days, changing leaves, and shorter hours of sunlight – teaches us about the cycles of life, the reality of change, and the importance of preparation for eternity.
The writer of Ecclesiastes declared: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1–2). Autumn illustrates this truth with vivid colors and solemn reminders.
Let us consider three spiritual lessons from autumn:
- Autumn teaches us about harvest.
- Autumn teaches us about change.
- Autumn teaches us about preparation.
1. Autumn Teaches Us About Harvest
- Autumn is the season of reaping. Farmers gather in the crops that were planted in spring and nurtured through summer.
- Spiritually, harvest reminds us of accountability. The Bible says: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” (Galatians 6:7).
- Autumn reminds us that the choices we make today will bear fruit tomorrow. If we sow righteousness, we will reap blessing. If we sow sin, we will reap sorrow.
- Jeremiah 8:20 records a tragic cry: “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!” What a warning – harvest is not endless. There comes a time when it is too late to gather what matters most.
2. Autumn Teaches Us About Change
- Autumn is famous for the transformation of the leaves. Brilliant greens give way to gold, red, and brown. The landscape becomes a painting of change.
- Life, too, is full of seasons of change. Families grow. Children leave home. Bodies age. Jobs shift. Loved ones pass away.
- James 4:14 reminds us: “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”
- The changing leaves remind us that beauty can be found even in decline. The aging saint who walks closely with Christ shines with a splendor the world cannot imitate.
- God uses change not to destroy us, but to prepare us for greater things. Just as leaves fall to make way for new growth in spring, we too must sometimes let go to experience God’s next season.
3. Autumn Teaches Us About Preparation
- Autumn is a time when nature prepares for winter. Animals store food, trees shed leaves, and farmers finish their labor.
- Spiritually, autumn reminds us to prepare for eternity. Hebrews 9:27 says: “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”
- We must be ready before winter comes. Winter represents the end of life. Autumn is God’s reminder that time is short and preparation is urgent.
- Jesus told His disciples: “We must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” (John 9:4).
- The wise man does not wait until the snow falls to gather firewood. Likewise, the wise soul seeks the Lord while He may be found.
Conclusion
Autumn preaches to us. Its colors, its harvest, its cooling winds, all remind us of eternal truths:
- The harvest is certain – what we sow, we will reap.
- Change is inevitable – but God is faithful through every season.
- Preparation is urgent – because winter is coming, and eternity is near.
Let the words of Psalm 1:3 encourage us: “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”
Autumn reminds us that life is short, but Christ offers eternal life. The leaves may fall, but the Word of our God stands forever.
