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Winter - Written by Meg Cooke

Day 4 - A Time to Weep, a Time to Mourn (v4)

God made us to be emotive.  The winter season can evoke some strong emotions: sorrow, anger, fear, frustration, desperation, and even hopelessness.  Perhaps surprisingly, in the big plan God has for our life, He sets before us times of weeping and mourning. When we weep and mourn, God weeps and mourns alongside us because He understands the pain we experience in our temporary time on Earth and is moved with deep compassion for us. 

The danger in a difficult winter season, is not that too many tears will flow from our eyes, but that none will fall at all.  It is desperately tempting to allow the coldness of winter to make us numb; to put up the walls and avoid all feeling until we are on the other side. 

But, God calls us to a higher standard, to ENGAGE with our emotions.  If this statement fills you with dread, fear not, God is not calling us to become weepy, unmanageable, and unreliable people swayed by the slightest feeling of emotion.  God calls us to engage with emotion because it creates vulnerability and greater intimacy with God and trusted friends.  God does not call us to let our emotions control us. 

Take some time to read the Psalms today.  David was an emotional man and despite his flurry of emotions, God called Him “a man after his own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). Perhaps God is trying to show us that the expression of our emotions with God leads us to real intimacy with Him. 

See for example, Psalm 3:

David is not afraid to release his desperate cry to God.  Consider the fact that there is a whole book in the Bible called ‘Lamentations’ dedicated to expressing grief, disappointment, and regret. 

Consider:

1. Have you become numb in your winter season? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you feel again so that your intimacy with God may increase. 
2. Have you let your emotions overcome you in your winter Season? Take time to list the ways your emotions lead to certain actions. Tell someone about this so you can become accountable and begin to see God’s promises amongst the feeling.

If you find engaging with emotion particularly difficult, find a trusted friend or leader to help you on the journey.  God wants to take you to new levels of fruitfulness and intimacy with Him through this process.