“Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;”” Genesis 1:14a NKJV

When God created the earth He planned for the cycle of the seasons. He orchestrated the days and years of man. We look to spring as the birth of new life and the renewal of life after the dormancy of winter. There is a special joy in seeing the first signs of spring. It lightens our spirits and improves our attitudes to see those signs. The colder, darker winter is over and life begins again!

The early signs of spring are special in every area of the country and everywhere in the world. As I look out my window today, I still see gray-brown trees without leaves silhouetted against a cloudy blue sky. The majority of the grass is still the dry beige of winter. And the only apparent green in the landscape is from scattered pine treetops and the mountain laurel and rhododendron, all evergreens in southern Virginia. But if you look carefully, there are small signs that winter is turning into spring. One of our earliest signs is the forsythia, bright yellow flowers bloom before the leaves appear on willowy brown branches and daffodils. This year these early signs were covered in a layer of late snow!

Spring is the time for earth’s rebirth and renewal. As we celebrate the blossoming of spring, let us also consider a spiritual rebirth and renewal.

Let’s Renew

Let’s refresh our minds by reading God’s word.

Let’s rebuild our faith in prayer, undeterred.

Let’s rekindle our relationships with peace and love.

Let’s restore our families with guidance from above.

Let’s re-energize our passion for selfless service.

Let’s replenish our armory of Bible verses.

Let’s reaffirm our belief in Jesus Christ.

Let’s resuscitate our hope in the gift of His sacrifice.

Let’s recharge our patience with God’s forgiveness.

Let’s remodel our neighborhoods with gentle kindness.

Let’s revive our joy in God’s wonderful creation.

Let’s rejuvenate our churches to pray for our nation.

 

This week let’s allow the springtime signs to inspire us to renew those things in our lives that we can and draw closer to God and His wonderful creation.

I thank God for each of you! And I thank you for joining me today to celebrate spring and a time of renewal.