Links for today’s readings:
Read: Genesis 8 Listen: (3:06), Read: John 8 Listen: ((7:33)
Scripture Focus: Genesis 8:22
22 “As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease.”
Reflection: Winters as a Sign of Mercy
By Erin Newton
As we brace for the blistering cold and possible inches of snow, we are reminded that we are in the middle of winter—not really a new year. This turn from one year to the next has been less than enthusiastic. I can’t seem to muster the energy to set goals or think of what I will achieve over the next few months. I’m not alone. I’ve seen posts and articles lamenting the awkwardness of New Year being in the middle of the cold and dreary winter weeks. But it won’t last forever.
It is the cyclical nature of seasons that brings hope. It reminds us of the promise ages ago that God would “never again” bring massive destruction to the earth in an effort to wipe out humanity. As long as the earth endures, there will be seasons. And that means there will be winter.
The “never again” promise from God should be a relief to humanity. Before the Flood, the narrative suggests that humanity’s wickedness could reach a point of no return or that there was a limit to God’s mercy. God saved a few in that boat, but God’s judgment was thorough. The surviving animals and humans were crammed into tight living quarters. Leisurely strolls to pass the time were probably mixed with the smell of manure or the squawks of cooped-up birds. I doubt it was much of a cruise ship.
But the waters receded, never again to cover the mountains. The steadiness of seasons was promised in return.
Winter is a promise of God’s providential care. No matter what we do, the cycles will keep on turning. There is no evil that will invoke “Flood: Round Two.” The beauty of God’s promise is not that it will be Edenic again. It’s not a heavenly promise of blue skies and sunny warmth. There will still be winters—periods of fallow and hibernation and dormant fields.
We experience this realistically as the axis of the Earth tilts away from the sun. But there is a spiritual and emotional component. Our ambition may lie dormant for a while. Our spiritual lives may chill every now and then. But the cycle of winter is nothing to fear. Winters are a sign of God’s mercy. Winter is God’s “never again” promise.
As we bundle up this week, we reflect on God’s providence—he cares for us beyond our mistakes and beyond our failings.
Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence
Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. — Psalm 86.4
– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.
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