Winters can be long up north, and I have to say that last winter was wicked long. Just when the ground would be almost clear of snow we would get two feet in one storm. Ron and I have been in a spiritual winter season. A loooong spiritual winter season.
Psalm 74:17 You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter.
Psalm 147:16 He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes.
Winter is beautiful: ice lace (The frost designs the Lord makes on windows.); millions of different snowflakes spread on the ground like a fluffy, white comforter; cold, crisp air; icicles that grow as long as swords and ice diamonds sparkling on the trees. You would think it is a time of no growth, not so.
Trees continue to grow in the winter months…….below the surface. They slow down growth, but the roots continue to gather and store up nourishment in anticipation of the Spring burst.
When we trust in the Lord and meditate on His word and fellowship with Him, we are gathering and storing in our roots, the roots that go down deep in Him. (Psalm 1:1-3, Jeremiah 17:7-8)
My comparison of the tree roots and our roots comes from knowing where the Lord has us going and the waiting period. We put our house on the market two years and four months ago in obedience to the Lord. We know where He is sending us….don’t know the timing, but as we wait, we are digging into the Lord and storing up, growing, listening, preparing for our destination. That doesn’t mean we aren’t ministering here. We minister wherever we are, but we know that greater things are coming in the Lord and we are to be a part of that.
We all go through winter seasons in our lives in Him. There are two ways we can go through our winter seasons: we can draw close, dig in and get nourished or we can hate the season and mutter and complain about how long it is.
For us, this season has been a time that we can’t seem to get enough of the Word (Bible), and can’t seem to spend enough time with the Lord, and want Him to speak more revelation to us. These are awesome times of growth in Him and great times of refreshing and life! (Proverbs 3:3-8 and Proverbs 4:20-23) Ah, sweet nourishment!
It isn’t always easy, but He promised that if we kept our minds stayed on Him, He would keep us in perfect peace. It takes practice, and like anything, making the right choice and I want to encourage you to keep pressing into Him in your winter season and when He calls you out of it that Spring burst will explode!
Song of Solomon 2:10-11 My beloved spoke, and said to me: Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away, For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone.
(The pictures are Ron and me, ice lace and the view in our yard to the West.)
