Your Springtime Is Coming!

What’s the weather like where you live?

For most of us, January is the dead of winter. Icy winds swirl outside. Flakes of cold snow may already be on the ground. The temperature keeps dipping lower and lower … and there’s no sign of spring in sight.

But what I’m concerned about is what’s happening on the inside rather than the weather outside.

Even as children of God, each of us will face a winter season at one time or another. This could be a divorce, an illness, the loss of a loved one, a financial setback, or struggles with our children. When a difficult situation brings winter into our life, it’s easy to feel frustrated, stressed-out, depressed, and overwhelmed.

The good news is that a breakthrough of God’s love and favor is available to anyone who truly wants one. It’s not a matter of wishful thinking or just trying harder, and we don’t have to be in any doubt about where to find such a breakthrough. Revelation 21:5 (NASB) tells us: “He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’”

Perhaps you’ve been looking for answers to life’s questions in all the wrong places: unhealthy friendships, addictions, immorality, binging on food, pornography, or material gain. These may have temporarily distracted you from the real issue, but instead of fixing the ache in your heart, it only grew worse.

However, if you need a new beginning today, you can be certain where to find it: at the throne of Jesus, the One who is able to make all things new!

His Answers for Any Season

Of course, that isn’t a promise just from me … It’s from Jesus Himself! The Bible says when we place our trust in Him, we’re “new creatures” (2 Corinthians 5:17). And since He knows we’re living in a broken-down, sin-sick world, and we sometimes fall short of His glory, He walks beside us – He sends us His Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

I’m praying that 2020 will be more than just a New Year for you – I’m praying it will be a New Beginning … a New Day in the Lord for you and your loved ones! A new season of hope and joy in Him … hope and joy that you experience personally and that you share with those around you!

No matter what season of life you may find yourself in today, His answer is the same. Make sure you are “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Even if you’ve been tripped up by life’s circumstances, He will lift you up:

The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.

The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it.

When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing (Psalm 145:14-16 NLT).

God is a faithful God in every season. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:21-23). He will never leave you, no matter how difficult the circumstances may seem (Hebrews 13:5).

God can turn your barren winters into fruitful springs … times of drought into abundant harvests (Genesis 26:1, 12). Those who trust in Him never need to worry about the changing seasons:

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT).

What an encouraging picture of the kind of life we can have when our roots reach deeply into the soil of God’s love. Like the woman described in Proverbs 31, we will be able to “smile at the future,” confident God is preparing blessings and breakthroughs for us in the days ahead (Proverbs 31:25 NASB).

My Prayer for You

If you’re going through a winter season in your marriage, your job, your health, your finances, your emotions, or with your children, God wants to give you confident hope that a better season is ahead. However, you may find yourself doubting that you’ll ever see springtime again. And perhaps it’s hard even to picture what an abundant life could look like.

If so, take a look at this beautiful description of springtime through the eyes of King Solomon:

Look around you: Winter is over; the winter rains are over, gone! Spring flowers are in blossom all over. The whole world’s a choir – and singing! Spring warblers are filling the forest with sweet arpeggios. Lilacs are exuberantly purple and perfumed, and cherry trees fragrant with blossoms (Song of Solomon 2:11-13 MSG).

Winter can soon be over for you as well, my friend. The chilly atmosphere and barren trees around you can be replaced by blossoming flowers and nature’s majestic choir of praise.

Whatever you may be going through today, I encourage you to keep on loving, praying, and believing. Sing one more song. Be steadfast and unmovable. Lay aside every weight holding you down or holding you back. Don’t give up until you receive your breakthrough from God.

The more difficult your winter season has been, the deeper your roots can grow in Christ and the greater your coming harvest will be. And because of the lessons of the winter season, a whole new beginning can be yours … new joy … new peace … and a new level of contentment in your life in God.

Springtime is just around the corner – a spring of greater vision, a spring of answers to your prayers.

As you await your springtime, continue trusting in God. Continue crying out to Him. Continue believing His promise to work all things together for your good (Romans 8:28).

Remember: You’re not alone in this journey of faith. Everyone needs a breakthrough sometime – and God offers one to you today!

Your Partner to Reach the Lost,

David Cerullo