7 Reasons Winter Reminds Us to Hold on to Hope

1. Seasons Come and Go. Winter Will Give Way to Spring.

Nothing stays the same, and the seasonal changes remind us of that. Ecclesiastes 3 gives an account of many of these contrasts. There are times to be born and times to die, times to plant and times to uproot (verse 2), times to tear down and to build (verse 3), times to weep and to laugh (verse 4), a time to keep and a time to throw away (verse 6), and times to speak and to be silent (verse 7). God has made everything beautiful in its time (verse 11). In these winter seasons, we can be confident that God has ordained the days and is Lord over it all.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

2. There Is Purpose and Hope When All around Seems Dark

Ecclesiastes 3 speaks of a time for everything, but it also says, “Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return” (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20). Animals and humans alike will eventually return to the ground. King Solomon, who penned these words, attained great wealth, power, and wisdom. Yet, he came to the conclusion that it was all vanity.

The Hiding Place

3. Store Up Truth All Year Round, Which Sustains in Winter Seasons

As some animals are busy storing food to prepare for the winter, we would do well to spend our days hiding God’s Word in our heart. When times of darkness threaten to overwhelm our soul, meditating upon the Scripture we have stored up over the days, weeks, months and years, is edifying and needed. We can say with the psalmist: “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him” (Psalm 62:5).

It is only the Lord that can meet the deepest longings of our hearts. Even when we lament and cannot lift up our voice, the cries of our heart reach Him. Through it all, we need to yield to Him as both Savior and Lord of our life.

4. New Life Will Come Again. Yet, There Is Still Life in Winter

Darkness Does Not Have the Final Word

As believers, we begin to see things as they really are: ourselves as sinners and Jesus as our only hope, our Savior and the light of the world (John 8:12).

6. Look Beyond What Can Be Seen, to What Is Happening in the Unseen Places

Seeds under the ground are buried below the earth and nothing seems to happen to the watchful eye. Yet below the ground, much is happening in the dark earth. At just the right time, and in just the right conditions, the seed begins to break forth.

In our own lives, to a watching world, nothing much may be happening. But the Lord is doing a work in our heart and our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is at work and cares a great deal about our spiritual heart condition. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

It is necessary to abide in Jesus, because we can do nothing apart from Him.

7. Even What Is Dead Will Be Raised to Life

We speak often on what Jesus came to do in the past and how that impacts our life in the present. Yet, God has set eternity in the heart of every single person (Ecclesiastes 3:11). There is an eternal outcome for us all. Whether we repent and believe and trust in Christ’s finished work on the cross and His resurrection, or not, will affect us for eternity. Jesus was the firstborn of the dead (Colossians 1:18), and we can hope in the risen Christ and have the certainty of eternal life with Him (John 3:16; Romans 6:23; John 17:3; John 5:24).

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands (Psalm 19:1). Every unique snowflake, the colorful array of autumn leaves, and the stars which are numbered and named (Psalm 147:4), remind us of the hope that we can know in Jesus, who upholds all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). Each season points to our Creator, our Savior and our Lord. That should cause us to abound in hope in all our winters. He is with His people, now and for eternity.