Responding In Faith

I love spring! I love seeing the first flowers open up, smelling my apple tree blossoms, and hearing the sweet sound of the birds singing their love songs to each other. The earth seems to come alive again after a state of being dormant during the long cold winter months. Going outside and working in the warm spring weather, deeply breathing in the smell of the earth, my spirit begins to soar. I see things with new eyes. It is a change in the seasons. It is a positive change.

The movie Bambi depicts this change of season so beautifully. I forget which character used this term, but they spoke of the animals being “twitter pattered.” Spring is a season of love. Looking at things, people, events…just life with new eyes.

Each day I walk out to my gardens and I am amazed at the handy work of my Lord. He has given me a great desire to enjoy the beauty of all things that He has created. For me, Spring is a time of healing and renewal. It is the start of new life jumping out of the earth boldly and dramatically. Everything seems to have new life. It is as if everything is coming back to life to praise God.

Psalm 96:11-13a says it well: Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the Lord…

Is that not what Spring is? All of God’s creations are praising Him! Psalm 150:6 goes on to say: Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Sometimes in the dead of winter I think our hearts can get hard and we forget the beauty that God has created for us. This even includes the beauty of change. Ecclesiastes 3 speaks of different seasons of change.

Ecclesiastes 3 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
[NIV at IBS] [International Bible Society] [NIV at Zondervan] [Zondervan]

Ecclesiastes 3
A Time for Everything
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

15 Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account. [a]

16 And I saw something else under the sun:
In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

17 I thought in my heart,
“God will bring to judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time for every deed.”

18 I also thought, “As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Man’s fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath [b] ; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal [c] goes down into the earth?”

22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

God has intended for a time of everything. Does that mean that change will be easy. No, it does not. Does that mean that we should be closed minded to change because of the challenges that change can bring about? No, it does not. Change can be a very difficult thing, but through the change, we can grow closer to our Lord. Fear can so often tear at our hearts when change presents itself and then we miss out on the beautiful gift that God had intended to give us.

How many times have you fought change in your life and allowed something to be rejected only because of the fear that was so deeply rooted in your heart that prevented you from seeing the entire picture? Doesn’t the Bible tell us that we should “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you,” (1 Peter 5:7)?

Instead of exerting so much energy into fear of the unknown, maybe we should trust more. Isaiah 41:10, So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:13, For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand, and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

God does not intend for us to be full of fear. He expects us to trust in Him. I encourage you today, to look at change with new eyes. God will walk right beside you during these times. Life is full of change. Sometimes it is difficult because of things that have happened in our past. Sometime we just don’t want to let go of our old ways. Sometimes we can become intimidated and can’t rationalize things in a healthy manner. Whatever the reason, try to see that God has a bigger plan. After all, He should be in the driver’s seat. When you decide to let Him take the wheel, watch out! You will be in for the ride of your life!

Lord, I know that change can be very difficult for some of us. Sometimes we just want to drag our feet and scream and rant and rave. Sometimes we just don’t want things to change because we are happy with the way things are. Many times we don’t want to leave our comfort zones. Through out the Bible You show us how change happens and although we may not understand at the time, You know that big picture…the scheme of it all. Lord, give us eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart that desires Your will. Help us to know that it is You in the driver’s seat. I love you, Lord and thank You for your everlasting love! You amaze me with the changes that happen with each season of my life. I thank You for helping me to keep an open mind and an open heart to change.

*Photos are from my spring gardens and orchards. A favorite pass time of mine!