It is the month of August, and we are keenly aware of the changing seasons in nature around us. Here in the Southern Hemisphere, this has been one of the coldest winters I’ve ever experienced. The cold cuts right through to the bone! By August, the winds start to blow in our region, and we know: spring is on its way! The new season of growth is about to begin. We only have to persevere a little longer – better days are near!

 

The Bible often speaks of different times and seasons in nature, using that language symbolically to reflect on our human experience. In the Bible, the two main seasons described are summer and winter, or often, the rainy season and the dry season. Even in biblical times, there was an understanding that the sun and moon influence the seasons and the times of day. Behind the flow of time and the rhythm of the seasons, God’s hand was seen, as we read in today’s Scripture. This month, I want to reflect on the seasons in our lives and acknowledge God’s hand in them.

 

Psalm 74 was written during a time of hardship. God’s people had suffered military defeat, and the enemy had brought destruction. The temple had been burned down, and every place where believers had gathered was destroyed (Psalm 74:7-8). God’s voice had gone quiet – there were no more prophets (Psalm 74:9). It was undoubtedly a winter season in the history of God’s people. But even winter is never the end of nature’s cycles. During this time, some believers still held on to the Lord and trusted him for deliverance.

 

The psalm is attributed to Asaph, and from verse 12 he begins to express his trust in the Lord, who had done mighty things in the past. But he also trusts in the Lord as the One who holds the seasons in his hands. God can bring this terrible winter to an end and usher in a new season of spring. That’s why Asaph pleads with God to remember his covenant with his people (Psalm 74:20). He prays for God to intervene and bring salvation, for these times of oppression to come to an end (Psalm 74:21).

 

It is now winter in the Southern Hemisphere, and nature looks dull and lifeless. Yet spring is near, and the new signs of life, like blossoms and budding leaves, will soon appear. The world also feels like a dangerous place to me now. There seems to be a low point in history with all the hatred, violence, war and crime that surrounds us. But like Asaph, I want to keep believing that spring is near and that God will once again bring times of new life and growth. I pray for that, and I offer myself as an instrument in his hand.

 

Prayer: Lord, in the winter of this world, I cry out to you. Lord, chase away the cold and bring new fire into my heart. Let new life begin to bud in me through your Spirit, so that I may once again bear fruit to your glory. Amen.