Winter can be a time that brings about a bit of melancholy as we feel stuck inside and see gray skies out the window most days, bare trees, and brown grass. We are reminded that God has purpose in each of the four seasons of climate, and also for the seasons of our souls, even wintertime.

 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8,11 – There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

A time to be born and a time to die,

A time to plant and a time to uproot,

A time to kill and a time to heal,

A time to tear down and a time to build,

A time to weep and a time to laugh,

A time to mourn and a time to dance,

A time to scatter tones and a time to gather them,

A time to embrace and a time to refrain,

A time to search and a time to give up,

A time to keep and a time to throw away,

A time to tear and  at time to mend,

A time to be silent and a time to speak,

A time to love and a time to hate,

A time for war and a time for peace.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

 

We must trust God with our winters, during the slow process of waiting for Spring. It has been said, “Do not forget in the night what God has shown you in the day.” We can recall the many times and ways God has brought us through our winter in the past, and have faith that he knows when and how to get us through any present winter of the soul.

 

We can ponder the reality that we are already living our eternal lives. When God indwelt us with the Holy Spirit, he imparted eternal life to us. It can help put into perspective the suffering of difficult circumstances in the present. And God blesses a heart set on eternity, on those who know they are mere pilgrims on this earth and who long to see their Savior Jesus Christ.

 

Psalm 84: 2,5,7 – My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. They go from strength to strength till each appears before God . . .

 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 – Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

 

The writer of Psalm 88 was in a winter of circumstances. Notice how he prays according to what he knows to be true of God, not according to what he sees God doing or not doing. In other words, he trusts in God’s word and not in his circumstances. And he pours out his heart to God in prayer.

 

Psalm 88: 1-3, 13 – Oh, Lord, the God who saves me, day and night I cru out before you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry. For my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave. But I cry to you for help, O Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you.

 

As we look outside at the bare trees, there is more happening than meets the eye. Yes, outside it is void of fruit and leaves, but inside it is hard at work making a new ring each winter. These help build the core strength of the tree. Meanwhile, its roots are stretching and extending to absorb much needed nutrients for growth. Likewise, our souls can be fed during winter to produce spiritual growth and fruit as we spend extended time in prayer, The Word, fellowshipping with like-minded believers, and serving others.

 

Pruning of trees is best done in winter when the branches can be cut back without harming the tree or fruit. This makes for even stronger, lovelier trees come spring. In the same way, God prunes us more during winter-like circumstances than during easier, happier times.

 

John 15: 1,2 – I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful.

 

So let us pray for and encourage one another during this season to:

 

               *Trust God’s perfect timing for every season and circumstance.

               *Recall God’s faithfulness in the past.

               *Keep our minds and hearts focused on our glorious eternity.

               *Patiently cooperate with His pruning until we see its fruit.

 

Hebrews 10:25B – Let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.