No matter what the deceivers of the world proclaim, there is only one truth. Jesus Christ said to Pilate in John 18:37 NASB, “I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

As summer folds into fall, we can acknowledge the passing of time and allow it to remind us of the kindness of the Lord, who stepped into time to redeem it—and us. From the Christian perspective, every season—including autumn—is imbued with purpose because it was created in Christ: “... all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16–17 NIV).

Ecclesiastes acknowledges the timeliness of every season, but also wrestles with the theme of futility apart from God. The writer notes “all is vanity” (Ecc. 1:2 ESV) or in another translation, “everything is meaningless” (Ecc. 1:2 NIV), until he finally concludes that our purpose is found when we “fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecc. 12:13 ESV).

If there is no God, then the seasons simply move on, with no purpose or meaning beyond the rotation of the sun. The passage of time would be meaningless and vain. As followers of Christ who fear God and keep His commandments, we can let the turn of seasons point us to the ultimate purpose of our existence: knowing and obeying the God who made everything.