Trusting God Through Every Season
““I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ”
Everyone knows how tough this winter has been. We had several days with single-digit or even below-zero temperatures. The cold and snow made things difficult for everyone. While Buffalo is famous for harsh winters and big snowstorms, this year felt different. Even though we weren’t alone, much of the country, along with many other places, endured the same. That doesn’t help much when we remember just how cold it got, or how the ice and snow made driving and walking hard.
As we sit here in March, we know that we are on the other side of those frigid temperatures and close to springtime. Everyone looks forward to spring, especially if you live in the part of the world we do, but it feels like more people are more anxious about it this year, for obvious reasons. One thing about a season like this is that, while we may wish it would come more quickly, we have no doubt it's coming.
There’s a lesson here for our faith. Everyone goes through tough times—illness, money problems, relationship struggles, and more. When we’re in the middle of these challenges, it can feel overwhelming, like there’s no way out. Getting through a hard winter isn’t exactly the same, but both remind us that we can’t rush the process. Most of the time, the situation is out of our hands, and we just have to get through it. But as we do, we know change will come. That’s the point: just as we trust spring will follow winter, can we trust that Christ will bring relief after hard times? We don’t know when or how it will happen. Like waiting for warmer weather, we can’t control the timing or how quickly things improve. We can only do what we can—bundle up, limit our time outside, and keep winter kits in our cars. In a crisis, it’s the same: take the steps we can, and trust God with the rest. It may not be the most comforting answer, but it’s true.
Can we trust God to be at work in every hard season of life? The Bible verse above reminds us that no problem is too big for Jesus. Sometimes, that’s hard to accept because we wish He would just take our problems away. Even though Jesus has all power and authority, that’s not always how He chooses to help us. So, can we trust him? Can we keep going, no matter how tough things get? No matter how steep, rocky, slippery, or windy the path, we know in our hearts that we’ll feel the warm sun again. Jesus has overcome the world. The season will change. It’s only a matter of time.
Pastor Scott
