The rain is falling softly outside my window today. It heralds in the beginning of a new season. There’s something about the coming of spring that produces abundant hope. Hope for a new beginning, a fresh start, or a change in circumstance. God gets credit for the seasons, and for the hope that stirs our hearts. Genesis 1:14 , “And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years…'”
Winter can seem never-ending: bitter cold days, raging winds, and perpetual darkness. It’s comforting to know that although we’ve been deep in the winter, both physically and spiritually, the season is changing. We can even request a change! Zechariah 10:1 says, “Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who makes the storm clouds. He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone.” That’s another way of saying God will meet our needs, answer our prayers, and give us what He promised: abundant life. Jesus said in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
We need to get in agreement with God, to have faith that what He says is true. There’s a change in the air. Can you feel it? I do. Let’s watch and hope for the new. Let’s get our umbrellas out so we’re ready for the blessings God has planned for us. And, “May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
When the military needs to dig in, they make foxholes. These are considered ‘defensive fighting positions.’ When we go through tough times, we definitely need a fighting position. Taking the militaries lead, we need to address two things regarding ‘digging in.’ First, we have to make the hole big enough. We might think digging in means praying about the problem and asking others for prayer, and that certainly is part of it. But remember, we have to make the whole big enough, so we must do even more.