Spring’s Gentle Reminder: How God Makes All Things New
Experience the hope of spring as a reminder of God’s promise in Revelation 21:5—God makes all things new. Embrace renewal and growth.
Spring does it to us, doesn’t it? There is something about this seasonal transition that is unlike the others. At least up here in the Pacific Northwest, when the frost finally relents and the sun begins to show up with a bit more authority, it give us more than just warmer temperatures. It thaws apathy.
Long in the dark days of a winter season, the cold, the frozen, becomes our normal. We pacify ourselves with a cozy cup of tea, a warm blanket, all near and close. Winter, no doubt, holds beauties all its own, but they are inextricably linked to a season that can often be harsh, severe and isolating. In February around here the days are often rife with stagnant fog and most conversations are peppered with a collective wondering when it will finally subside. Will it ever let up?
The Stirring of Spring: A Season of Renewal
Seasons of life parallel seasons around the globe, you know? Of course you know. And that is why it is wise for us to pay attention to the unique stirring spring brings.
Light stretches long and our days lengthen. More. A few small degrees of warmth and a wide awake sunshine invites us to remember change is coming. Something new is coming. The whole wet earth seems to be seeded with hope.
I was recently asked what a perfect day looked like to me. It’s a good question to consider. And as I did, I could picture it clearly with little effort. I’m dining on the back patio with my family. The air is perfectly warm, the grass vividly green, and the backyard pots are brimming with flowers. We may go for a walk, we may play volleyball, or we may just linger in conversation. That part doesn’t matter so much as long as we’re together, outside, and the world around us is so much alive. That’s pretty much my favorite.
God’s Provision in Every Season
I’m no hater of winter. Don’t read that. I enjoy its uniqueness. Autumn, too, comes crisp and yet cozy with a parade of colorful comforts. And summer is, of course, a joy all its own. But there is something particularly special about spring. Perhaps I’m just getting older, but this year I noticed it more acutely than ever – spring is just the sweetest gift of reprieve, of newness, of life, of hope.
In my study of Psalm 23 lately, I’ve been reading the insights of W. Phillip Keller (A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, 1970). He mentions the Promised Land of the Old Testament commonly being referred to as a land overflowing with milk and honey. Keller notes that this reference is more than simply figurative language.
“By this we mean the peak season of spring and summer when pastures are at their most productive stages. The livestock that feed on the forage and bees that visit the blossoms are said to be producing a corresponding “flow” of milk and honey.”
Isn’t that fascinating? The Promised Land, the result of God’s covenant with Abraham, was a vision of God’s bountiful provision for His people and it was described in the hopeful and flourishing abundance of spring. Of course it was.
Behold, He Makes All Things New
It reminds me of the hopeful words we read in Revelation 21:5, “And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
Perhaps the anticipation we hold for change, the eagerness for something new is more than just a season, perhaps it a small gift, a small and powerful reminder of the One who is and is to come. The One who will make all things new.
Perhaps spring is a small glimpse toward eternity. And if it is, I certainly don’t want to miss it.
Enjoy these changing days. Revel in the beauty, in the warmth, in the planting and the growing and the newness of it all. But don’t for a second miss the cue toward greater things, friend. Point the eyes of your children, the eyes of those around you, toward it as well because we get to be vibrant witnesses to an unfolding story, full of glory. Let’s use these days well.
