Living Through the Dark Seasons

1 Thessalonians 5:9

Do not quench the Spirit.

The changing of seasons in nature is very easy to observe.  The new growth of the spring is always preceded by the dying out in the winter.  

So it is in our growth as Christians.  The Lord allows us to go through trials and periods of distance from Him in our relationship with Him.  How we respond during these periods of dying out determines the size and the fragrance of the new bloom.  The more we let ourselves die to Christ in the winters of our lives, the greater will be the produce of our spring times.  The more we let ourselves live in the flesh in our winters, the lesser will be the produce of our spring times.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us seasons of growth in our relationship with You.  We rejoice in knowing that You have planned for us to go through these growing seasons with the Holy Spirit as our helper.  We pray, Lord, that when we enter into our periods of darkness that we may learn to respond to the checks of the Holy Spirit as we battle against the attacks of the flesh.  May Your strength be perfected in our weakness as we blossom in Your perfect light.