Spring is my favorite time of year. Tulips sprout. Grass gets green. The bitter cold is gone from the air. The sun feels warmer. Being outside is a joy. The mild rains clean the residue the barren winter has left behind and the rain nourishes the ground so new life can happen.
It may be the middle of winter, but spring is coming.
Verse 7 tells us to walk by faith and not by sight. Paul is making a plea for followers of Christ to think long-term (faith) and not short-term (sight). How is this working in your life? In what areas of your life do you need more faith? In what areas does your short-term thinking need to be replaced by long-term thinking?
The tulips are already preparing to sprout in the spring.
Verse 17 talks about how we can become new persons in Christ. Paul isn't talking about turning over a new leaf. He is talking about beginning (or rebeginning) a new life with God. In your life this year, what would you like to become new? How can God help you?
The rains will wash away the reminders of the winter.
Powerful and good news can be found in verse 19: Our sins are no longer held against us. What parts of your past do you need to let go of so you can become the new creation God intends for you to be?
We get to share the Good News that spring is right around the corner and God is making all things new!
Verses 18 to 20 state God has given us the task of reconciling people to Him. The Greek word for ambassador is presbeute. A presbeutai was responsible for bringing other areas into the Roman Empire. An ambassador, as Paul speaks, is one who brings others into the Kingdom of God. Who are the people in 2011 that you will do your best in reconciling to God? Make a list and take the first step: pray for them.
1 comment:
Boy Craig, it doesn't feel like spring is around the corner from a weather standpoint. I think a lot of people don't feel like it's around the corner from a reconciliation standpoint either. Maybe our fear, like the cold, holds us back. Maybe past experience, like the next Alaskan cold air mass, have taught us not to hope until we see it. The metaphor falls apart in the spring though because warm weather does come. I wish we could all see the signs that our personal reconciliation was occurring, even though it was below the surface.
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