a Lenten Devotion by Beth Evanko

Romans 12:12. Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.

The songbirds, the crocuses, and the buds of the forsythia are welcome signs of Spring after Winter especially an icy windy one. These are signs of hope that after the cold, tiresome days of Winter there will be the warm sunny days of Spring. A gardener understands this sense of hope when he plants bulbs in the Fall. He sows them in the cold ground knowing that he will have to wait until Spring to see them burst out of the sun-warmed soil. He patiently waits through the endless frozen days of Winter confident that when the temperatures rise and the ground warms, the crocuses, daffodils, and tulips will explode in fireworks of color, a spectacular reminder of God’s majesty and creativity.

We as children of God need this patience too as we pray for God’s will to be done during this time of uncertainty in our lives. We plant the bulb of prayer in times of struggles and trials in ground that appears to be frozen. We must be faithful and patient knowing that in God’s time the Spring will come, and the bulb of prayer will burst forth. So, as we wait in our Winter of struggles and trials, we know that we are sustained by God and that Spring will come. In Colossians 1:11, the Apostle Paul writes, “God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient!” Our patience and faith will give us an abundant display of beauty. May these words from Thomas Chisholm strengthen us through those winter days of prayer as we look to Spring and the end of our uncertainty.

Pray on! Pray on! Cease not to pray,
And should the answer tarry, wait;
Thy God will come, will surely come,
And He can never come too late. — Thomas Chisholm