It feels as though spring is coming at last to Idaho. Yes, it’s only the middle of February, but it feels so long since the ground has not been frozen.
It is still cold in the mornings, though, and the frost still hangs around until mid morning some days. I was watching out my window as the sun was coming up the other day, and noticed something interesting. Everywhere the sun hit was thawed, but the shadows stayed icy. In fact, I remember, there is a whole side of our house that stays cold and dark and dead long after the sunlight encourages the little green heads of new vegetation to appear elsewhere.
Abnormal? No, but as I watched, God posed a question to me. Do I have shadows in my heart that block the Lord from being able to bring my WHOLE heart to life?
Hurts from the past, wrong motives, incorrect concepts of God, willfulness, disobedience…these are obstructions that cast an icy shadow on my life. They are barriers I leave up to keep God out, when He wants to tear them down and resurrect my whole heart into newness of life. It is this type of thing that can keep the light of the Holy Spirit from being “shed abroad” in my heart (Romans 5:5).
Wounds, offenses, deception, and disobedience are all things that are part of the “old man” mentioned in Romans 6:6 that is to be done away with so the new man can live in Christ. Just like the spring brings a melting away of the old season and a bursting forth of the new, so the work of God in our lives should bring complete metamorphosis. This metamorphosis cannot occur, though, as long as we cling to the things that thwart the “sun” of God’s love.
We need to tear down the barriers that block parts of our lives from being seen in the light of God’s Word and allow an absolute thawing of our hearts so new life can spring up inside of us.
It is coming on springtime, but in a spiritual sense I believe it is a season of complete transformation. Let frigid winter pass away with all its deadness and let spring bring you to a new level in Christ – the new creation!
