A Winter's Slumber

My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past... Song of Solomon 2:10,11

In this text, Solomon describes a spiritual winter. It's a season characterized by soulish dormancy and a landscape-covered cold, a lifeless embrace of ice and wind. The soul is in a slumber, perhaps complacent, surely weary. When the soul is seemingly distant from the warmth of spiritual communion with Christ, it's a horrible season. It is a necessary season. And at times it feels like it will never end.

But as winter's frost melts to spring's embrace, so the frozen heart, warmed by Christ's love, blossoms in renewed faith and holy affection. Let the winter of pride [because let’s be honest all sin is pride] give way to a spring of humility, for it is the lowly heart that receives the refreshing rains of God's grace. In the depths of spiritual slumber, the voice of Christ calls us, awakening the soul to renewed life in Him. So the winter's chill is but a prelude to a spring's warmth.

Dear one, in the winter of despair, let the knees be bent in humble prayer, for communion with Christ melts the stone-cold heart. Let the Holy Spirit do His thawing work.

Our Savior had a winter of the soul. Did you know that? The cross's winter was bathed in sorrow. But from the Root of Jesse, the tree upon which He was slain, budded. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" and “It is finished!” speak of winter. But from that barren tree called the cross of our Lord, the first buds of our salvation blossomed and then came to fruition through His Resurrection. His forsaken cry was the wintry howl that heralded a new season about to begin in Him. O believer, in your winter of soul, when Christ seems distant, and hope seems lost, think on that forsaken cry. He was forsaken by God so that we would NEVER be forsaken. In Christ, the cold chains of sin are broken, and the warmth of pardoning grace hugs the soul. We are never left to freeze in our sin but called into the warmth of His love. Dear one, know that He has entered your winter and endured its bitterest chill. He has drunk the cup of divine wrath to its dregs that you might drink the sweet wine of His love.

Through the winter of Christ's forsaken cry, He has secured for you an eternal spring, a never-ending communion, where all tears are wiped away, and joy is forever in season. Cling to Him, dear soul, for He has clung to the cross for you, and His winter of the soul has brought you an everlasting spring.