Winter 1987
Moving in His Season
Bill Pepper
Pastor In Willow, Alaska

"My beloved spake and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone" Song of Solomon2:10,11.

Having experienced the past eleven winters in Alaska, I have learned to appreciate the inference to winter in this passage as never before. Sub zero temperatures that break the branches off trees, dangers of frostbite, storms depositing several feet of snow, high winds that leave destruction in their paths, the "chinooks" which bring warmer temperatures that lead to rain and icy conditions, and the darkness that prevails, with few daylight hours.

But it is not the winter of nature that I want to emphasize. In the spiritual realm, God allows us to enter a season of adversity, dreariness and seemingly spiritual decline where we cry out for more of Him. As the tree whose sap dries up, we feel our strength gone. The storms may battle against us yet we remain steadfast in His love.

He is watering His precious seed during the assaults and extremes of the season. Faith is being built in us. We learn to rest and trust Him, that life will spring forth again. He is the essence that sustains the waiting soul.

And spring does come in all its glory! He invites us to partake and "come away." Now we move more quickly, and suddenly our activities in God take form. A new beginning, after our having lain dormant in the plan of God, moves upward and onward. We are energized and refreshed with the newness of the season. "The singing of birds is come." A song of praise and hope is in our heart.

Summer produces the faith seeds of fall, and the sowing of spring. Hope has taken on a reality in the intense heat of this time. Growth is evident now. We are fulfilled in the perfection of what He has accomplished.

He is delighted in our fellowship, and in what He sees "for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance lovely." We learn to guard and protect that which we have attained to in Him. "Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes" SS 2:15. May no sin spoil that holy development!

We belong to each other, "My beloved is mine, and I am His..." SS 2:16.

The fall harvest is gathered and stored. The experience of knowing Him allows us to return to the winter season full of security and dependence on His help. Faith will be nurtured again. The cycle continues. . .

This pleases Him.

Many people today do not flow with this wonderful invitation to "come away. "Some prefer the seclusion of winter and total isolation from activities. Although proper in its timing, we are not to continue forever in this state.

It is noteworthy that two Scriptural references that speak of unbelief and doubt take place in the winter setting. Jeremiah 36:22,23. Jeremiah's prophecy about the King of Babylon coming to destroy the land was rejected by King Jehoiakim. He cut up the scroll and cast it in the fire! In John 10:22-25, "Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me."

The winter season separates the sheep from the goats. It is a time of stillness before Him. As we are depleted in ourselves, we learn to draw from His well. Winter means "to make wet." " I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of water of life freely" Rev. 21:6.

Spring is full of praise and rejoicing. It is beautiful. Some thrive on he pace and excitement of this season and refuse to "come away" and enter the summers heat. The pressure and intensity of this phase is very demanding, but produces growth and maturity. Summer grants to us spiritual discernment and the ability to see clearly and function accordingly, (Luke 21:29-31). The chaff from within is driven away, (Daniel 2:35). The labor of summer prevents poverty, (Proverbs 6:8-11).

The fall is the culmination of abundance and blessing. How we need this too. Prosperity enables us to give again. Yet there are those who do not want to experience anything but harvest and good times. Although the harvest is great (Luke 10:2), many will not participate in it (Matthew 9:37).

God in His wisdom has established the seasons. One may be longer than the others. As missionaries in the jungle of Peru, which was close to the Equator, we were in a place where it was almost always summer. Here in Alaska, we have about 8 months of winter. He determines the time length of each season.

Follow Him into each one, with a willing heart. Let Him bring about the balance that we might truly KNOW HIM.