The Quiet Beauty of Winter with a Cup of Coffee and God's Joy

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV

Do you have a favorite time of year? I love the changes that come in the fall and the feel of the air during that time. It is my favorite time to sit outside in the late afternoon and enjoy a cup of coffee. I can feel joy in every change, feel, and smell. It’s possible your favorite time is summer. Activities at the beach abound, hiking and bike riding are accessible, and iced coffee is so refreshing. Winter may be your time of year because of all of the snowy activities available. My Pastor hopes for warm winters with snow in the mountains so he can golf one day and ski the next. But for many, winter can be a time of sorrow, withdrawal, and sadness.

In God’s Word, winter can mean a time of hardship or testing, but it can also be a time of personal reflection and drawing closer to our King. Ecclesiastes tells us there is a season for everything and I believe God wants us to draw close to Him during the winter season. It is a time to slow down on the snowy days when we don’t desire to go outside. It is a time to reflect on the beauty of God’s world as the sun brings light to those so far from us. Have you ever stopped to think about that? When we are in darkness people on the other side of the world are enjoying the glorious sun. What another great way He shows the love He has for all people, allowing each person to have time in His glorious warmth and light.

Looking at winter through the eyes of God and the specific need He has for this time of year can give you a different perspective of why God might give us a bitterly cold, wet, dark time. In my area of the world, we need winter to be strong and full. I live in a drier area of the mountain west and we rely on the water winter brings to sustain us through summer. God knows this and perfectly provides it by bringing mountain snow and valley rain. Without it, we wander through a summer without lakes and rivers to swim and fish in and a higher chance of wild fires. You may see it differently in other areas of the country, but I am sure God is providing winter time in your area for a purpose that glorifies Him.

The problem we may run into during this season allowing ourselves to fall into a time of not looking for and seeing God’s presence in the dark and dreary days. Our lives will always have times when it may be dark and dreary, due to so many circumstances. In those times, as in winter, God is asking us to fully rely on Him for the joy we cannot quite find.

God is the source of all joy! Isaiah 55:12 shares, “You will indeed go out with joy and be peacefully guided; the mountains and the hills will break into singing before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands” (NIV). This verse is a promise of freedom and a call to step into God’s ordained path with confidence. It invites us into a deep abiding joy rooted in the Lord’s blessing. This joy is not merely an emotional response but a profound state of being we have because of God’s promises for eternity. This is a joy we need to look for and allow ourselves to feel because we believe in a Savior who has provided us salvation.

Winter is a time we can’t escape. I suppose we could fly south and live like a snowbird in the warm parts of the world or seek out permanent residence on a tropical island, but the winter in our lives can never be dismissed. If you are moving through a time of hardship, sickness, sorrow, or disengagement, you will need to rely on God during any earthly season and in each of these spiritual or physical needs. Finding joy in Him is truly the only way we can make it through times of testing and winter.

Winter will give way to spring, whether it’s a trial or time of year. And when it happens, our God will be shining through with all of His great promises of joy. The winter season can certainly mirror our spiritual journeys and by acknowledging both the challenges and the potential for renewal and joy, through God the Father, is the way we will come out in the spring bright and new, with new growth, a clean heart, and reliance on the only One who is true and good.

Taking time to see the goodness in winter, reflecting on what He has done for us during the other seasons of the year, and praising Him for what will come when the snow melts, will help us see the joy provided by the Creator and Giver of life.

A Prayer for Today

God, I am so thankful for the joy only You can show me. Thank You for the winter season and the provisions it brings to my area of the world. Thank You for a peace and joy I can have when I choose to see Your glory even in times of winter and trials.

Today’s Challenge

Actively seek out opportunities to see joy. Bundle up and take a walk in the sun on a warmer day, participate in a community event or provide acts of service to those in need. Begin each day looking outside and finding joy in your circumstances.