It must be spring!
If you think the cold and dreariness of winter is so last season, then this is your time of the year. Even losing an hour of sleep to Daylight Savings Time seems worth it if the daylight stretches a little longer each day.
For believers, spring has the added benefit of reminding us that God’s all about new stuff. In fact, Jesus promised to make everything new one day (Revelation 21:5 NIV). In the meantime, He gives us glimpses of coming attractions through spring.
To help you celebrate the shift from one season to another, we’ve found some verses that hit on some of the best themes of spring. Let them soak into your soul like a warm sun on a cloudless day.
Growth: That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. – Psalm 1:3, NIV
Spring is a time for growth. In nature, that comes from the right combination of sunlight and water. For our spiritual lives, it comes from the right combination of time with God in His Word and time with other Christians in fellowship. The alternative is to be chaff that blows away and comes to nothing.
Starting Over: 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. – Hosea 6:3, NIV
Everybody needs forgiveness. We need God to appear and let us know that we’re back on track with Him. He’s ready to give us that kind of healing. We just have to turn back to Him.
Provision: I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. – Deuteronomy 11:14, NIV
The Christian life is a balancing act between working like everything depends on you and trusting like everything depends on God. He will send the rains you need, but you’ve also got to do your part by working the harvest.
Learning: Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. – Deuteronomy 32:2, NIV
You’re never too old to learn a little more about God and His goodness. Just like rain provides nourishment to the plants, His Word reaches into our hearts and shows us things that we never would have imagined.
Renewal: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. – Psalm 51:10, NIV
God’s in the renovation business. He takes what’s old and broken down and transforms it into something incredible. If you’ve got an area of your life that needs some renewal, He’s more that ready to meet you where you are.
Peace: Why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. – Matthew 6:28-29, NIV
Take a look at the flowers and plants blooming around you. They didn’t worry their way to awesomeness. And you can’t either. God cares about you, so let Him carry your worries and fears (1 Peter 5:7 NIV).
Whether it’s a long walk on a sunny day or splashing through puddles during an unexpected shower, soak up the blessings of spring. Let the sights, sounds and smells of a new season bring something new to life in you.