Chapter 7
For some, the “right season” has arrived—a bit of a pun, actually—bringing with it the promise of growth, improvement, and hope. For others, it’s a time of holding on, waiting for the storm to pass, and longing for a season of relief. Life, after all, is filled with seasons: times of abundance and times of challenge. The Bible, in its poetic beauty, speaks profoundly about these changing seasons.
One of the most striking metaphors in Scripture is the transition from winter to spring. It’s a powerful reminder that seasons of hardship and waiting can give way to renewal and new beginnings. In Song of Solomon 2:11-12, we read:
“See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.”
Here, winter symbolizes hardship, while spring heralds a time of hope. This passage echoes the faithfulness of God to bring new life after difficult times.
Similarly, in Genesis 8:22, God reassures Noah that as long as the earth endures, the cycle of seasons will continue:
“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
This verse is not only a promise of natural order but also a reminder that change—whether for good or for ill—is part of God’s design for our lives.
The book of Ecclesiastes offers a profound reflection on life’s changing seasons:
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”
This timeless wisdom invites us to embrace the ebb and flow of life, trusting that each season has its purpose. ( a bit simply said … sure doesn’t always feel like this)
In Hosea 6:3, we are reminded that God’s presence is like the life-giving rains:
“Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”
After the barrenness of winter, the rains come to restore and refresh. It’s a vivid picture of how God can bring revival to our lives after seasons of drought and dryness.
And in Isaiah 43:19, we hear a powerful declaration:
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”
The traditional response to such words of encouragement often leans toward quiet acceptance—acknowledging that, yes, change is inevitable, and that God is indeed at work behind the scenes … all for His perfect plan?
But what if the change isn’t simply the end of a season? What if the transition is a divine invitation to surrender?
It is in the depths of winter that we are most often pruned, tested, and refined—stripped of what is no longer necessary. Winter’s purpose teaches us the value of stillness and dormancy. In the barren cold, growth seems to cease, but in the earth is silently nurturing the seeds of transformation beneath the surface.
Perhaps the winter itself is as essential as the growth that might follow.
Wishing you a great winter day!
Philemon