The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere.
Isaiah 61:11 NLT
As we emerge from winter, we look forward to the hellebores flowering, the winter rose revealing that life is stirring once again. It is the precursor of all that lies ahead, in a garden that is largely empty of colour apart from the diverse shades of the evergreens. We know the deciduous plants will soon bud as the soil shudders in anticipation of new birth sprouting from within.
Long winter nights with damp and dark mornings, misty and grey evenings can lower our mood. This is equally true of us in the spiritual life. We cannot see the hand of God through the fog of our own confusion and uncertainty. The landscape, such as it is, looks drab and offers little by way of hope or encouragement. Our mood sinks and we barely know how to sing God’s song in this strange and barren landscape. Yet, there is always the stirring of God’s Spirit. It may not be evident or obvious. It will demand we seek it and perhaps wait longer than we desire to perceive its initial shoots. Full bloom may well be even further in the future.
The summer of 2019 was cold until June, and exceptionally wet. The plants we longed for were delayed due to the weather. Nothing we could do would change this natural process. It was dependent upon factors beyond our control. So, in my walk with God, I have learned to live with acute frustration on occasion, unable to perceive God and his purpose. Life drains of colour but demands I continue in the expectation that winter will give way to spring. Once I catch sight of God there’s often a season of overwhelming signs of his presence, yet I also know that I shall experience autumn and winter again. This is all part of growing into maturity in Christ.
QUESTION
What season of the soul are you in right now?
PRAYER
Lord, deliver me from a spirit of despondency. Shine your love into my heart, warm my chilly bones.