Ah, fall is here! The leaves are changing colors, the air is becoming crisp once more, and taffy apples and hot apple cider abound! Overall, I love fall.
Fall reminds me of change--some of which I welcome more than others. I stand amazed as the leaves change color, but I look down in disappointment as the ground beneath me begins to turn cold, the flowers wither away, and I know winter is approaching.
This reminds me of spiritual change. Sometimes God takes us down an unexpected path that we would not have designed for ourselves. Our hearts grow cold and hardened, and all we see as we look down the path ahead is the dead of winter. We begin to shout as the Psalmist cried, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?"
It is in the midst of this despair, confusion, and loneliness of heart that God redirects my vision to focus my gaze on Him. The Psalmist concludes the thirteenth Psalm by stating, "But I will trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me." Trusting in God is a choice, not a feeling. It is not natural; it is an act of the will. But as we choose to do so we learn how to "sing to the Lord" and our blinded eyes are opened to the ways "He has been good to me."
This week, try trusting, even in the midst of despair. God promises you will have a guide to walk with you as you travel down the path through the darkest winter into the glorious spring that awaits on the other side.
