If there is a season that I am most glad to refer to as past, it is winter.
Oh yes, there is a splendid beauty in the white-robed outdoors, glistening icicles, the glow of candles and flickering firelight, the warmth of the holidays that fall in winter’s time of year, and more. I enjoy all of that, including the pure whiteness of the snowflakes – of which we get our share where I live. Paired against a brilliant icy blue sky, it’s breathtaking. Eventually though, the beauty turns dirty.
I’ll testify to a shot of hopeful adrenaline – while sipping hot cocoa and thinking about the flowers and trees that after winter’s dormancy will bud once again. Mother Nature is faithfully cyclical in that regard. And it’s that faithful cycle that encourages me that this (winter) too shall pass.
But, let’s face it. Winter is a barren time.
To be caught in eternal winter, like C.S. Lewis’s Narnia, is not what Elohiym had in mind for His creation, groaning, waiting for our glorious revealing. Nor is it what the Bridegroom has waiting for His beloved…
‘For behold, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone.
‘The flowers have already appeared in the land; The time has arrived for pruning the vines,
And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.
‘The fig tree has ripened its figs,
And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, And come along!'”
Song of Songs 2:11-13
Peering out the window, the Beloved reported what He saw and knew to be true. The land had awakened and was coming to life. That to which He was bidding her come was already in process. Others had gone before and others would follow after, but this was her time of invitation.
***
Abiding in our believer’s heart, the Lord knows just how to lead our heart out of the land of spiritual barrenness. Though saddening, it is no surprise to Him that some of us have existed in a land of perpetual winter, metaphorically and spiritually speaking.
Say what? How can a believer who has accepted Jesus into their heart still live in a wintry condition? The sad thing is that at times we have little idea of the state of the land of our life – until.
When He pronounces that the winter is past, there is a shift He wants us to embrace. For those in the body of Christ who would rather snuggle deeper under the covers – because winter is what we know and are used to – He has news for us. The rain is over and gone, too.
There is a depth to His grace that can be so misunderstood.
Years of our life may be spent in ignorance, sin, and unfruitfulness. Seasons of stormy trials may attend His convictions of guilt and shame, appointed for the purpose of refining our nature and character. Meanwhile, He does not prevent or hinder the warming of our hands and heart at the fire of His Love.
But there comes a turning point in His grace for the heart that truly desires more of Him.
Somewhere in this journey of the heart, when the cold winter of life causes us to cry out yet another time, “Lord, keep me warm and safe!”, He announces the winter is past, and if one desires to no longer remain barren they must rise up and come along with Him, for fruit bearing does not occur in the winter. This too is His grace.
It is the difference between lounging contentedly in the house of wine all the spiritual days of our life and answering His compelling to come along with Him out to our un-kept vineyard (Songs 1:6). There is field work to be embraced and accomplished in the ground of our own life that without, will leave our portion to be given to another. If we choose to remain in winter even as Christ enjoins us repeatedly to come along with Him, He will never stop loving us. But He will continue the work of His Vineyard, with or without our cooperation. The sharing of His harvest and reward will be given accordingly. (Luke 6:20-38)
As for the rain being over and gone, it is significant that the Hebrew speaks of it as a violent shower that was but is now over – hastened away, passed on, leaving a pierced and altered change of landscape. It also means abolishing, cutting off, growing up, going forward, renewing and sprouting. Vine-speak for preparing and cultivating the soil of our soul-life for holy fruit bearing.
(Husbands, love your wives), just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory,
having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing;
but that she would be holy and blameless.
Ephesians 5:25-27 NASB
That which He has already done in making provision for His Bride, He will not repeat. There is no need. Believers who are showered, even saturated, in the rain of His Word will have revealed more truth of Who He is and who we are only as we yield our hearts in obedient submission to what we already know.
So much more in the vineyard awaits us…
Gracefully Free, Weather Girl
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Shammahs Field LLC/Shammah Ministries is the biblical counseling, life coaching, and spiritual growth ministry entrusted to Wayne & Nancy Bentz. You can learn more about the resources they have to offer at shammahsfield.com and nancybentz.com.
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