By: Lauren Thomas
Last year at this time I had crocuses blooming in my backyard. This year, as I write, the 10-day forecast holds another 12 inches of snow and single-digit temperatures. Even so, I know with certainty that spring will come. It is similar in spiritual seasons. When I am in a spiritual season of winter – where everything feels barren and dark – I know that I will again feel the presence of the Lord. As certain as spring comes again, the Lord will come to me again.
Oh, that we might know the Lord!
Let us press on to know him.
He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn
or the coming of rains in early spring.”
Hosea 6:3 NLT
There are seasons of the soul that feel abundant, where we flourish and feel the light of His presence. And there are seasons of the soul that feel dry, deserted, and barren. There are seasons where we closely sense the presence of the Lord. And there are seasons when He feels too far away to respond.
But even there, the Lord is working. Samuel Rutherford, a 17th century Scottish minister and theologian wrote, “Grace groweth best in winter.” This came from a man who lost six of his children before they reached the age of 5. I’m therefore inclined to believe that he knew what he was talking about. This was a man who was no stranger to soul-winter.
Even in the winter, when growth is not visible, beneath the soil roots are growing, strengthening, replenishing stores of energy. As Hosea 6:3 exhorts, this process involves our active pressing on. It is not a passive thing. We may want to sit back and be passive with our spirituality in seasons when we cannot feel His presence. But instead we press on, encouraging ourselves with this one, vital fact: just as spring does come, so will His Spirit.
Don’t give up on Him. Press on. He’s on His way. He’s coming to you.
Reflection:
How would you describe the spiritual season you are in presently?
What might God be growing in you in the season you find yourself?
How can you actively press on to know the Lord today?
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