Hope for Every Season With Danny Gokeyഉദാഹരണം

Spring

“Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses.” (Isaiah 35:1)

Spring seems to be the easiest season to welcome for many. It means the return of brighter, warmer days, and brings with it new growth and beautiful blooms. The hope and promise of all that has lain dormant is brought to life. But that doesn’t mean spring is easy.

It is an invitation to move from the familiar to the unfamiliar. To open up, to linger a little longer, to take a few more risks. Change can be hard, even when the change is good. Like it says in Zechariah 10:1, “He will send showers of rain so every field becomes a lush pasture,” but also that spring rains are not possible without the storm clouds he controls.

A certain level of fortitude and action are required to withstand the sometimes stormy transition from the cozy comfort of winter to the newly wide open world that spring offers. Seeds that have been buried must now push their way to the surface. Gardens must be primed, and sprouts must be carefully tended. God is inviting us to new heights and depths with Him, if we are willing to put in the work. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth … For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.” (1 Corinthians 3:6 & 9)

In Biblical times, spring was when kings typically went out to war. Unfortunately, in 2 Samuel 11:1 “David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.” We can’t be sure of the reason for David’s passivity, but we do know that it led to a series of grievous sins. It can be tempting to get stuck in the less demanding rhythms of winter but, as God’s children, we are called to engage in the fresh beginnings of spring.

Spring cleaning is not just a modern concept. 2 Chronicles tells of when the Lord’s temple had fallen into disrepair. Its rooms - and the Israelite’s hearts - had grown dark. But King Hezekiah vowed to restore the temple. “They began the work in early spring, on the first day of the new year, and in eight days they had reached the entry room of the Lord’s Temple.” (2 Chronicles 29:17)

If you are in a spring season, what work is God calling you to? What storms are you willing to endure in exchange for the enjoyment of the lush pastures that result? Where do you need to clean house and get your heart right with Him so you can enjoy the fullness that this season has to offer?