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Finding Beauty in Your Winter Season
Seasons exist not only
for life on earth, but for our life in the Spirit as well - winter seems to
represent loss, change, and isolation for us, all things we prefer to do
without - the cold that drove us indoors was not meant to be conducive to
activity, but to intimacy
Deborah Perkins
“Blessed is the man who
trusts in the Lord and whose trust is in the Lord. For he will be like a tree
planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when
the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a
year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.” ~ Jeremiah 17:7-8
It is a rare person who looks
forward to the winter season.
Cold, inclement weather,
combined with increased sickness and long, dark days can induce loneliness or
depression.
Previously green grass and
plants all morph to ugly, drab colors, taking our cheerful outlook with them.
We long for sunshine and
spring, flowers and warmth, but winter seems unending.
Yet the Bible says that “While the earth remains, seedtime and
harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not
cease.” (Genesis 8:22, NASB).
In this case, what’s true in
the natural realm is true also in the spiritual realm.
Seasons exist not only for
life on earth, but for our life in the Spirit as well.
We have times of new
beginnings, (springtime), times of busyness and activity (summer), and times of
great harvest (fall).
But there are also times when
God calls us into a winter season, and more often than not, we enter this
season reluctantly.
Winter seems to represent
loss, change, and isolation for us, all things we prefer to do without.
Recently, though, God gave me
the gift of a winter spent with Him, and this season changed my entire
perspective. It all started on a prayer walk I took in the fall.
I was walking along a quiet
country lane near my home, at the peak of our New England autumn season.
The air smelled exquisitely
crisp and clean, there was stunning, fiery color in the trees all around me,
and I was alone except for some birds and squirrels making provision for their
nests.
Spiritually, I was in a very
fruitful and productive time of my life: active in my church, involved in
several ministries, and seeing great answers to prayer.
I had taken this walk alone to
seek God about the future, and He answered me in a rather unexpected way.
I had reached a spot where a
magnificent, stately old tree stood before me. It was glorious!
The tree trunk’s diameter was
roughly 4 feet wide. Its branches reached high above the other trees, fully
extended, with gold, yellow, and red-hued leaves all throughout.
I stopped to marvel at its
beauty, and the Lord spoke to me in His quiet yet unmistakable voice.
He asked me to observe the
tree as representative of the Body of Christ.
He showed me that the base and
roots represented Christ, and the branches the many denominations and churches
throughout the earth.
All the branches, though
different from each other, are part of the same root system.
He said that I had been among
these branches, ministering healing in various ways to the people (the
“leaves”) I brushed against as the wind of His Spirit moved me.
I had been enjoying a fall
“season” spiritually, and loved the beautiful experience of harvest.
What He asked me to do next
was a surprise. He invited me to come back down from the branches, to move
deeper into the trunk and root system of the tree.
When I heard this, my first
thought was that the trunk was so ugly and barren in contrast!
Why would I want to leave such
splendor and activity, only to be lost in a grey place lacking any real
distinction?
Suddenly ashamed of myself, I
realized that this was exactly what was said about Christ:
“For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of
parched ground; He had no stately form or majesty that we should look upon
Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.” - (Isaiah 53:2, NASB)
God was asking me to enter
into a winter season of intimacy with His Son, and I found myself guilty of
resisting because the idea seemed so unattractive!
You see, I was not “burnt out”
from ministry at the time, a condition that often requires believers to take a
step back and regroup.
There was no glaring sin in my
life that needed to be dealt with, nor had I experienced any loss or setback
which might necessitate my relinquishing responsibilities for a while. This was
simply an invitation.
What I didn’t know then was
how essential and life-changing this winter season would be for me.
In retrospect, I saw that He
gave me this experience for the purpose of knowing Him better and replacing my
dread of winter with faith-filled expectations.
I didn’t know how vital the
winter renewal process was for a tree.
Through study, I learned that
if a tree is denied its natural dormant stage, its lifespan is greatly
reduced.
Here was the principle of a
Sabbath-rest, in living color!
I learned that a tree’s height
and stationary location are both dangerous factors in winter, since it is more
exposed to cold and cannot move to hibernate as animals can.
In order to survive, the tree
stops making food (photosynthesis, or the process of converting energy from the
sun into chemical sugars or saps), and turns inward.
Moisture must be drawn from
underground roots to protect the tree from winter drought. If a tree loses too
much water, cells are destroyed.
As winter approached, I was
taking another walk through the woods and the Lord stopped me again, this time
to observe a barren tree.
It was completely devoid of
leaves, a spindly, grey structure with no apparent growth.
This time, He drew upon what I
had learned about trees to instruct me: without the water of the Word, a
believer will not survive the winter season.
As a gardener mulches or
covers his trees to preserve warmth and moisture, so believers must immerse
themselves in Christ and His Word in order to preserve and renew themselves.
This is not a time to serve
(or in the case of the tree, to create food or expend energy), but a time of
intimacy with Him.
By drawing upon the pure water
of the Spirit, we sustain ourselves until springtime arrives.
The apostle Paul writes in Romans 11:18, “… remember that you
do not support the root, but the root supports you.”
Paul is speaking of the Jews
here, but it is equally true of Christ, who is the basis and support of our
faith.
In the very first recorded speech of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:10), we hear him saying, “The axe is already laid at the root
of the trees; therefore every good tree that does not bear good fruit is cut
down and thrown into the fire.”
And Ezekiel 47:12 give us a prophetic
picture of the believer drawing water from the river of life: “Their
leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every
month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for
food and their leaves for healing.”
I spent my winter season
digging deep into the water of His Word, and I not only survived but also
enjoyed the process!
I found that winter, to
Christ, is a little bit like sitting by a warm fire with your beloved; it is an
enjoyable time of reconnecting.
The cold that drove us indoors
was not meant to be conducive to activity, but to intimacy.
Our conversations grew longer,
our understanding was deepened, and our love for one another grew.
We made plans for the future,
much like a gardener would plan for spring.
And eventually, we itched to
be outside again, sharing in the delight of warm springtime and celebrating
like the lovers in the Song of Songs.
The rest from hard labor
rejuvenated us, and we were ready again to emerge into the new things God had
prepared for us.
I would not trade this
experience with Him for anything, and can honestly say that I look forward to
each and every spiritual season now, especially winter.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is in the
Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots
by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be
green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield
fruit.” ~ Jeremiah 17:7-8
Deborah Perkins is a seasoned prophetic writer, teacher, and
Christian leader with more than 35 years of ministry experience across
denominations. Her passion is to communicate God's heart to his people,
empowering them to build the kingdom of God.
At God's request in 2013, she founded His Inscriptions, an online ministry
devoted to helping people worldwide “Discover Life-Giving Communication with
God.” Through her website, mentoring courses, and a weekly blog, Deborah offers
discipleship to those who want to grow their relationship with God. Published
books on Amazon include: Life-Giving Prayer, How to Inherit Your Spiritual
Promises, and Why Pray? Reasons
to Reach for God.
A Wellesley College graduate, Deborah lives in New England with her
husband, three wonderful children, one cat and a coop full of
chickens. Deborah writes regularly for SpiritFuel, Bible Gateway, Tyndale House Publishing, and LivingBetter50. Learn
more about Deborah or order her books on her Amazon author
page.
His Inscriptions is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization, and receives
support through the donations of readers and partners like you. To sow a
financial seed, click
here.
https://www.hisinscriptions.com/finding-beauty-in-your-winter-season.html#/
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What to do
When Your Prince Turns into a Frog!
God is releasing NEW BEGINNINGS in people's
lives. I know you can experience that new beginning.
One thing I have learned is that as
Christians we have the power to co-labor with God and participate in the
shifting of our season.
The Holy Spirit can give you one simple idea
that can make a huge difference.
![Mark 5:34 - He [Jesus] said to her: “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed from your grievous sickness.”](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/57/30/de/5730decadfd06d2afcd36019651fd3a6.jpg)
