Cold weather isn’t forever. Over the past winter, we experienced extreme temperatures throughout the United States. Dozens of people died due to the weather conditions. Strangely, in the same conditions which pushed humans to the threshold of death, tiny, delicate perennials such as the daffodil survived.
Few, if any, of us saw daffodils in bloom last winter. Though the flowers had perished, the stems, leaves, and roots of the plants were still alive. Throughout the winter months, the living elements of the plant were dormant. When weather conditions became favorable for growth, then the flower resumed its original growth pattern. The daffodil could attribute its survival, not to the beauty of its blossoms, but to the strength of its core — its roots.
Like the daffodil, Christians may experience seasons of dormancy. When the harsh winters of adversity, suffering, pain, and loss fall upon them, they may appear to fade and shed their blossoms. It might not look like any growth is happening. The reality is God uses the trials of life to strengthen His children at their core so they will be ready to blossom afterward.
Do you know some Christians who are struggling through a dormant, winter season of life? Don’t shield them from their trials; don’t abandon them in their trials; stand with them during their trials. Encourage them. Challenge them to extend their spiritual roots deeper. Tell them of God’s provision in your own winter seasons. Above all, pray for them. Ask that God would use the hardships they endure in a way that will prepare them for the beauty He wants to produce in them. The cold weather isn’t forever. Soon the trials will pass, and each believer will blossom with real beauty.
The trials of life can either make or break us. The difference lies in the strength of our roots. Develop strong roots for life’s winter seasons through Biblical truths found in Pastor Jim’s book, Why Life Hurts.
Devotional by Pastor Jim Scudder, Jr.