It has been an interesting February thus far.
Historically, it is cold, damp, and overcast, with
little relief. This year, however, February has
been all over the place, meteorologically
speaking. We have had some cold, dank days
for sure. But we have also experienced some
sunny and warm days (today it is sunny and
approaching the mid-60s). Now, I like winter. It
and fall are my favorite seasons. But it is nice to
walk outside in the sun in mid-to-late February
and feel the warmth.
Metaphorically, winter typically represents
desolation and lack. For instance, Shakespeare
wrote in Richard III about “the winter of our
discontent,” the exact phrase that Steinbeck
chose as the title for his final novel. In that
novel, the main character—Ethan Allen
Hawley—descends into degeneracy and moral
bankruptcy. In other words, in his “winter,”
Hawley exhibits ethical desolation and lack.
God is a God who is the opposite of
desolation and lack. God is instead a God of
abundance and provision. Our God takes care
of his people. “Those who seek the LORD lack
no good thing,” writes the psalmist in Psalm 34.
Or, more famously, the psalmist declares in
Psalm 23, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall
not want.”
The decisive move by this lavish God was
the Incarnation. Jesus Christ came to give full
life. Jesus entered the world in order to restore
humanity, through faith, to what God has always
intended. Jesus arrived in the midst of a long,
difficult winter of spiritual desolation and
hopelessness, proclaiming in its place the foison
of a spiritual spring—a rich harvest of renewal
and life for those who follow him.
Jesus is still with us, and he still offers
abundance, hope, and life.
–Ricky
