It is the middle of February and the long cold winter seems to go on without end. I walk around my yard in between the snow storms and catch little glimpses of the coming Spring. I have Crocus blooming. The daffodils have sprouted. The tulips and a few other bulbs are sticking their noses up in the air. I have seeds sprouting in the greenhouse. These are simple things, but they remind me of a few things. God’s timing is not our timing. God will always see us through the storms of life. God’s people can never lose hope.
First, God’s timing is not ours. As long as the Winter seems to be, think about the Israelites wandering through the wilderness for forty to eighty years. Think about God’s children waiting for nearly 400 years to hear a word from God. The Winter may be long, but it is weeks or days. It is not years or decades or even centuries.
Second, God will always see us through the storms. He promises that he will walk with us through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He will never give us more than we can handle. And a sparrow does not fall from the sky without his knowledge and he cares more for you than he does for the sparrow.
Finally, God’s people can never lose hope. I get to see the flowers popping up because I believed enough in the Fall to plant them before the Winter started. There are going to be good days and bad days. As believers, we need to use the good days to get ready for the bad days. Share your hope when you have an abundance. Borrow someone else’s hope when you are feeling down. Plant those flowers, both the blooming kind and the kind that grows in the gardens of people lives that you encounter.
Jesus kept all of his promises so far and there is no reason to doubt he will keep the promise that he is coming back. Enjoy the beauty of the snow. Spend some time with the family. Know that Spring is coming and so is Jesus. We don’t know how long the wait will be, but we know that it is less than it used to be. Are you ready?