As time marches on I’ve found that I have a growing affection for the Spring season. When I was growing up I always thought that Fall was the best time of year, but that was most likely due to my birthday being in October. As a kid, just growing another year older (and getting a birthday present) was enough of a reason to make Autumn my favorite season. I still love the crisp autumn weather that is so refreshing after a hot summer and much can still be said about the beauty and wonder of Fall, but there is something about Spring that has me waffling on which season is actually my favorite.

Spring brings in Summer and puts an end to Winter, and after living in the Midwest for many years now I wholeheartedly look forward to Spring, as it melts away the many months of icy cold weather. Oh, there is definitely a beauty in Winter in the snowstorms and ice on the trees, and there is much that can also be said about the mighty cold and the creative work of God in each little snowflake that is unique throughout all of time. Spring, though, is more gentle and holds a certain promise of life.

Each season is actually very special and given to us as a promise of God’s care for us. After the flood, God says in Genesis: 8:22, “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” All of the seasons have their purpose in God’s creation and serve to bring him glory.

Beautiful Spring, though, brings relief from the harshness of Winter. It is a taste of heaven as we come out of this sinful world and enter into a heavenly place where there is no sin. As we leave the biting cold winds and the ice that causes us to slip and fall, we enter into a beautiful world of new life with leaves budding on the trees and baby animals being born. All around us we see an awakening of things in nature. Life is restored.

With the Spring season we also have Easter, which celebrates Christ’s resurrection from the dead! “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said” (Matt. 28:6a). Death could not keep him! I Corinthians 15:54b-55 says “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory?” He is risen, and if Christ is risen we who have been forgiven of our sins and are given to believe are also risen with him!! Lord’s Day 22 Q&A 57 comforts us with these words: “What comfort doth the resurrection of the body afford thee? That not only my soul after this life shall be immediately taken up to Christ its head; but also, that this my body, being raised by the power of Christ, shall be reunited with my soul, and made like unto the glorious body of Christ.”

Spring is a celebration of new life! It is a time of great joy, as we are given such a beautiful picture of our heavenly eternal life. We can see the new life as we watch the green grass poking through the snow and the early Spring flowers push forth with their beautiful colors. We can feel the sun warm us and beckon us to come outside and see the beautiful new earth. We can hear the birds singing as they were so carefully created to do. All nature praises God! May we also break forth in praises to our God as we celebrate this beautiful season of Spring.