Pastor’s Manna

A Springtime Faith

We have had a pretty mild winter this year. Sure, we have had bouts of ice and snow, but for the most part we have been able to see the grass all winter long. So much so, that in early March, there were buds in the Chanticleer Pear tree outside my house. Three times now, since those buds appeared, we had cold, cold weather, even light snow, but those buds are still there, emerging after a long, cold, barren winter. To the budding flower, an icy covering surely isn’t what it was an- ticipating as it grew and prepared to blossom. I can imagine the budding flower crying out: “This isn’t what I was expecting!”

I think our faith is a lot like this. When we baptize people, the symbolism is very strong (I will be preaching about this on April 2). As the person submerges below the surface (or sprinkled with water), it symbolizes a death to the old life, and as they emerge from the water it points to a new life, a rebirth in Christ.

As we begin our new lives in Christ and continue to live those lives, these lives are not free from effects similar to the icy winds of winter on a newly budding branch. Reminders of our old ways, our old lives creep back…they remind us of when we were living in the world, but had not yet budded to the new life we are promised in Christ. These reminders may appear to be setbacks to us.

When temptation strikes, when faith is weak, when worries press upon us, it can seem like God isn’t there, like we are being tested! Just as that flowering bud keeps growing, knowing that springtime is right around the corner, we also must persevere.

The cold, dead winter of our life before Jesus Christ is behind us. Reminders may surface from time to time, but we have a springtime of growth and joy ahead of us. Our Springtime of Faith is always coming, even when it seems like we are in the middle of a cold hard winter.

There will always be days that cause us to cry out, “This isn’t what I was expecting!”, but have hope and have faith because God has promised that we are one of His own. We need not worry about what is coming, we need to just grasp onto what is promised…His Sonshine will always be upon us!

In Him,

Pastor Jon