Warmth in the Winter Seasons of Life

Have you ever experienced a harsh, lonely time in your life?

Winter seasons often come unexpectedly. I had one that lasted several years, as family members and others I loved passed away one by one, and my best friends cut me out of their lives. It was an isolating time … a cold, cold winter, with no noticeable fruit and a whole lot of chafing.

But Jesus … He awakened me every morning to the warmth of His love. He listened to my heart, healed my wounds, fed me from His Word, exposed my deep need to be loved, and then satisfied it completely with Himself.

You see, I’d gotten pleasing people and fear of upsetting them mixed up with love. Somehow, I needed them to all be nice to me. To see my love for them and love me back. But in those sweet, early-morning quiet times with the Lord during my wintery wilderness season, Love Himself untangled my messy understandings. He showed me what love truly is and washed away all the muck of what it’s not. He filled me to overflowing with the pure, warm stream of His boundless love, so my love could flow to even my frenemies as an outpouring of His.

No longer needy, because His love is deeper, wider, longer, higher and more than enough to completely satisfy me. No longer desperate to be heard, because He not only hears me but answers. No longer frantically protecting myself from attacks, because He is my Defense. No longer silenced, because He has given me a voice. He taught me how to confront those who hurt His body, how to speak the truth in love Matthew 18:15 style, even knowing the other person would attack me. How to let His love be the Shield around my heart so when others say or do mean things, my joy and my sense of well-being never wane, because He is my Joy. At peace because He is my Peace.

Now the winter is gone and spring is here to stay. As I look back I can see how He drew me into that cold wilderness to warm me … and transform me. Hosea 2:14-22. I will never be the same again.

Lord, these past few years have been hard for so many of us, but right now, we just want to pause and thank You for the good things You have brought out of our trials. For the ways You are transforming our hearts. For the unexpected blessings. For the joy of Your presence. For the adventure of crawling up onto Your shoulders so You can carry us. For Your constant love. And for the ways You have used these terrible circumstances to open up opportunities to pray together as one, and to share Your love with the world. We don’t know what 2025 will hold, but right now, we just want to surrender the year into Your hands and say that we trust You. That our hope is not in everything going our way, but in the God who is Sovereign and loving, the One who brings good out of what the enemy means for evil. Help us look to You throughout the year, and join You in what You’re doing. In Your name. Amen.

If you’d like a deep Bible study to help you walk as one with Christ and others, a day planner specifically designed for handing every plan, every moment and every day to the Lord, or a prayer journal to write down the things God is teaching you, take a look at these resources and more at MoreThanAConquerorBooks.com.

Mikaela Vincent and her husband are missionaries who live by faith, trusting in God to provide for their needs as they pray for and share Christ with the nations. If you would like to help their ministry through a donation, or by finding gifts for those you love at Mikaela’s online bookstore, click the buttons below:

Any proceeds this author receives from the sale of the deep devotional Bible studies and other MoreThanAConquerorBooks.com books mentioned in this post go to shining Christ’s light in the darkness and seeing the nations come to Him.

Thank you for your support! If you have any questions or want to help with this ministry, please contact Mikaela