I love spring, and all the wonderful things it brings with it! It seems there is just something about
it that gives me a renewed sense of hope, as well as a much needed replenishment of joy and hope.
When I feel the warm sunshine on my face, or enjoy spring rain from the safety of my window, I feel as if I have made it through a long winter, and God is gently, and lovingly reminding me that He never left me. Just as He is waking the sweet trees and plants from their winter slumber, and giving them
light and life, He is also refilling the very depths of my soul with His light, and life, and bringing me a renewed sense of purpose.Yes, I do love the spring! The wonderful rays of sunshine trying desperately to creep their way around my curtains, the joyous little birds letting me know ( incase I missed it ) that spring is definitely here! With a child like joy in my heart that seems to make it's way even to my toes, I pull back the curtains, open the windows, and take a deep breath as I step back to take it all in in the beautiful light of day. As I gingerly open my eyes, ( gingerly because I know what I am going to see ...I see it every year! ) I glimpse a familiar sight ....dirt, dust, a floor that needs mopped, windows that need washed, slipcovers that need a desperate cleaning... ( the list goes on ) Everything that was hidden in the cozy darkness of winter is now being exposed to the light. ( and let me tell you ....it's not pretty my friends.) With three kids and two dogs, there is not a clean square foot in our little house. Even the kids and critters need a bar of soap and a good hose down!
It would be very easy to take one glimpse around at all that dirt and work, and lose that hope and joy that I was just telling you about. I could very easily become overwhelmed by the mess and choose to close those curtains back up, pretending I never saw the sun, deciding to live out my days instead, in the comfort of the dark, where my dirt can stay hidden. Now I am not going to pretend that those thoughts have never crossed my mind. Sad, but true, there have been times when I have closed those curtains right back up .....letting go of any hope, and succumbing to the dirt and misery. This is the way it was for me before a wonderful change occurred in my life. You see, the older I get, the more I have learned to love the light, and look forward with longing, to the spring! I want the curtains pulled back, windows wide open, and I am willing to do what it takes to get my house, kids, and critters in order so that the warmth and beauty of the sun is welcome in even the darkest corner of my house. I don't want to miss one moment of spring by hiding myself, or my kids behind any dark curtains simply because I am unwilling to do what it takes to get my house clean!
Friends, my Jesus is like that wonderful, life giving sun. He wants so desperately to pull us out of the darkness we have hidden ourselves in, and bring us out into the glorious light, and give us hope and a future! He is like those little birds sitting right outside our windows, beckoning us to come out or we will miss it! He so wants to give us life, and He will never be content to let us sit in the dark. He will never stop calling us out into the Light! ( Thank You Jesus! )
John 8:12 says:
"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
What a wonderful promise from my wonderful Lord! He tells me if I will just follow Him, I will never walk in darkness! ( Don't miss the NEVER bit! ) He promises I can have the same hope, joy and light that I have in spring all year round ...if I will follow Him! ( sign me up!! ....Oh wait, I already am signed up! Well, I would do it all again )
He does tell us that we have to follow Him to walk in the light, and to follow Him, we have to be willing to allow Him to make us clean, and bring the darkest corners of our souls out into the light. This is the hard part ....it is so hard to confess and reveal dark areas ( areas of sin ) in our lives. For those of you who are feeling discouraged before you even begin, take heart my overwhelmed friends .....it is not you who will do the cleaning! You heard me right ......Jesus only asks you to bring it out into the light so that He can clean it! ( I LOVE Jesus! )
1 John 1:9 says
" If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. "
Colossians 1:13-14 says
" For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins "
God the Father loves us so much, and He longs for us to be in the Light! He created us with the desire that we would walk in the Light, and not just have life, but have it in abundance. This thought and hope was ( and is ) so much on His heart, that He sent His one and only son ( Jesus ) to die on the cross ( John 3:16-17 ) , be buried and rise again, ( victorious over death and sin ) to be the Light of the world! Wow ..... God sure does love us! And a little bit of dirt ( or even a lot of dirt ) is not going to scare Him away! My Jesus is not afraid of getting His hands dirty, and He is the best at cleaning up tough messes! ( ...better than any Mr.Clean magic eraser out there! ...What can I say? You write what you know! )
Psalm 51:7-10 says:
" Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me. "
If you are tired of stumbling around in the dark, and find yourself longing for hope and purpose for your life, then let me encourage you by saying that I have been where you are. There was a time in my life that I was so deep in the dark that I was sure no light would ever find me. I had no hope, and no future, an no ability to pick myself up from the deep pit I had landed in, but my God was so good to me, and He brought light and life that I had never known before! He gave me hope, and a future. He loved me when I was an unlovable, filthy mess, and I am confident that He can and will do the same for you my friend! Now that I have walked in the light and been washed in the blood of my beautiful Saviour....there is no way I could ever step out of the light and go back into the dark He found me in! So, I will gladly step into the light, and whatever dirt that light reveals in my life and heart, I will confess it, and allow God to clean it up, and I will do so with joy and thankfulness in my heart, because there is no way I could do anything less for my God who I am so in love with!
Isaiah 2:5
" Come, descendants of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the LORD. "
Isaiah 60:1-2
“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the LORD rises upon you
and his glory appears over you. "
This spring, I pray that you will step out into the Light, and find hope and purpose for your soul! May you never have a desire to retreat back into the dark!
