"There is an appointed time for everything. . . a time to weep and a time to laugh. . . " Eccl. 3:1, 4
They say Spring is here. Some days I believe it's true. We see daffodils and early Spring flowers pushing up from the hard soil. A few days the temperatures have actually reached 70 degrees, but the next they drop into the 30's. Yet Spring is definitely in the air. When it's chilly I like to stay in, wrapped in a warm afghan. I thank God for good friends with whom to exercise or run errands together. It's much more delightful than going out alone in the cold, and so good to have friends with whom to chat and laugh. Our Lord Jesus speaks to us in Song of Solomon 2:10-12, "Rise up, my beloved, my fair one, and come away. For the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers are springing up, and the time of singing birds has come, even the cooing of turtledoves." How encouragimg to hear those wonderful songs of Spring.
February has been a time of bittersweet memories for many. I remember how grateful I was to be able to pull off the month of February from my calendar and see the hope of March, even with its winds. And the March winds came early this year. I recently heard how the Lord had given an insight into the supernatural, that blowing winds can be signs of angelic presence. Sometimes when the realm of the Kingdom starts coming in and there is a lot of angelic activity, we can initially see winds beginning to blow on earth. When Jesus spoke with Nicodemus (in John 3:8), "Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit.":
As I pondered this, I felt the Spirit of the Lord quicken to me the amount of angelic activity surrounding the coming of Christ to the earth over 2000 years ago. God sent an angelic messenger to Zechariah to announce the birth of John the Baptist; to Mary, that she would be the mother of Jesus; to Joseph to have no fear in taking Mary as his wife; to the Shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem announcing the Birth of the Son of God; to the Magi being instructed to go another way from Herod; then to Joseph telling him to flee to Egypt with Mary and the child Jesus; and then instructing him when it was safe for their return to Israel.
Our awesome God is always with us, wooing and drawing us to invite Him into our hearts for a deeper more personal relationship with Him. He will never force us, but is always ready to hear our deepest heart's cry. "Trust in Him with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5, 6). We can be assured they will be His best pathways for us. He knows what's best for us far better than we can even know it ourselves. After all, He created us and knows all our innermost thoughts and greatest needs.
Sometime ago the phrases "This too shall pass" or "It came to pass" stood out to me as I read God's wonderful words. No matter what difficulty comes our way it did not come to stay, but for us to pass through it victoriously. Psalm 23 says "when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we can fear no evil, for our God is with us." The important thing is we go through the valley of the shadow - and a shadow is not real; it's only a phantom, an imperfect imitation or copy. Therefore, God wants us to walk with confidence in Him and His wonderful care for us His children, even through valleys or shadows. And yes, always remember, they did not come to stay, but they came to pass.
As the angelic messengers were extremely active prior to Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, I sense He is preparing us for His coming soon again for His bride, the church. Never have the signs been so active that the nations are groaning with travail, the huge numbers of wars, famines, earthquakes, floods and other signs coming with greater rapidity than ever before. So I sense we must get ready to welcome our King who will soon be returning to reclaim His children. He says in Revelation 22, "Yes, I am coming soon!" Let us be ready to welcome Him and call, "Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!"
A Blessed Springtime, ladies, and I hope you can join us at the Calvary Prayer Room next Thursday, March 10 at 6:30 for our March meeting.
Love in Christ, Dee
