“You have made summer and winter” (Psalms 74:17)

My soul begins this winter month with my God. The cold snows and the piercing winds  remind me that God keeps His covenant with the orbits of planets, and reinforces my faith that He’ll keep the glorious covenant with Christ which forgave my sin, and set me free to serve Him in every season of life.

Winter in my soul isn’t my favorite season, but there’s comfort in knowing, that the Lord makes it. He sends the sharp blasts of adversity to nip the buds of expectation: He scatters the hoarfrost like ashes over the once verdant meadows of my joy: He casts forth His ice like morsels freezing the streams of my delight. He does it all, He’s the great Winter King, and rules in the realms of frost, and therefore, I shouldn’t complain.

Losses, crosses, heaviness, sickness, poverty, and a thousand other ills, are of the Lord’s sending, and they come to us with wise design. Frost kills noxious insects, and stops raging plagues; breaks up the clods, and sweetens the soul. Oh, that such good results would always follow our winters of affliction!

How we prize the fire just now! how pleasant is its cheerful glow! Let us in the same manner prize our Lord, who is the constant source of warmth and comfort in every time of trouble. Let’s draw near to Him, and in Him, find joy and peace in believing. Let’s wrap ourselves in the warm garments of His promises, and do all we can to take advantage of the season to fix what’s broken and prepare for spring.

.