Your Winter is Over

One of the sure signs that winter is past and spring is present is the blossoming of trees. The other day I noticed that several apple trees in our backyard finally got the message that the recent winter was history. Overnight, and in one accord, all five of these trees burst forth with beautiful apple blossoms. It was their statement to the world of life. It was their proclamation of a promise that apples are on the way!

Deep in the DNA of these trees a kind of annual resurrection is programmed. At the right moment, this God-designed life force goes into gear, and in amazing harmony, the trees awaken and declare “We’re not dead. We’re alive!”

As I thought about the beauty of these trees, and the hope they communicated by their blossoms, I also thought about the application for us. At times we find ourselves in a long, dark winter season. It seems that everything in us is dry and dead. There are no signs of life, no signs of fruitfulness, and no apparent reason to believe that things are going to change. We may even resign ourselves to a wintry existence, convinced that our current condition is what is always going to be. All we see is a dry, dead, flowerless and fruitless future.

Here is some good news. As a believer in Jesus Christ, you carry the spiritual DNA of your Savior. God has programmed you for life and fruitfulness. It is your time to come out of winter into a spiritual springtime. It your time to declare, “I am not dead, I am alive!” It is your time to believe that fruit is on the way. It is your time to let blossoms come forth!

Take a look at this promise from God’s word:

“Even the wilderness will rejoice in those days. The desert will blossom with flowers. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel’s pastures and the plain of Sharon. There the LORD will display his glory, the splendor of our God. With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those who are afraid, ‘Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.’” — Isaiah 35:1-4 (NLT)

Are you tired of your dark winter? Let today be the beginning of your spiritual springtime!

Dale O'Shields

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