Joy in Spring

Have you noticed the way 50 degrees in spring feels different than 50 degrees in fall?

Fall 50 feels chilly. It prompts us to put on a sweater or take a jacket—colder days and nights to come. But spring 50 is a welcome invitation for short-sleeved shirts and colorful prints.

Spring is the season of potential. Those little pokes of promise ignite warmth in one’s spirit. Winter’s edges are beginning to pull back.

Of course, living in the Midwest, there’s a strong likelihood that those sweet little pokes of potential will be snow-dusted or even snow-covered before it’s officially spring!

Nonetheless, they rise in me a quick joy that motivates me to the coming of spring.

For the bulbs and for us, joy in spring comes only after winter finishes its work.

Jeremiah 29 and Joy in Spring

Jeremiah 29 lands us in this soon-to-be-spring-but-not-quite-yet season of life.

WHO WAS JEREMIAH?

Jeremiah is the Bible’s “Weeping Prophet.” For 40 years, Jeremiah spoke but nobody listened.

He wasn’t the guy or gal at the conference for which everyone lined up to glean one last morsel of wisdom. Jeremiah wasn’t the one people introduced themselves to—hoping the new connection might prove beneficial.

Jeremiah was poor, thrown in prison, taken to Egypt against his will, and rejected by his community—and even his family.

Remember that muffled voice that decorated Charlie Brown episodes—Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah?

That was Jeremiah.

Jeremiah served under Israel’s last 5 kings—first Josiah, the boy turned king who obeyed God and worked to restore the Temple and God’s people. Then, Jeremiah served under each successive king—whose hardened hearts became the trademark of Israel’s leaders.

Jeremiah’s was the unwelcome voice calling God’s people back.

During this time, Israel was conquered by Babylon and living in captivity, again.

GOD’S PROMISE LEADS TO JOY IN SPRING AFTER WINTER FINISHES ITS WORK

Chapter 28 describes the story of Hananiah, one of the false prophets who challenged Jeremiah and his prophecy. Hananiah predicted two years of captivity compared to Jeremiah’s generations of captivity due to Israel’s sin.

Who wouldn’t prefer 2 years of captivity over 70?!

Here’s how it went down.

Jeremiah confronted Hananiah on his ‘false prophecy.’

Hananiah asserted his authority.
Jeremiah rebutted Hananiah’s claims and predicted Hananiah’s death later that year.
Followed by a chorus of: Oh yeah? Take that! Oh Yeah? Take that!
Two months later, Hananiah died.

There’s no competition between Jeremiah and Hananiah; it’s a reminder that the Truth of God always wins out. Joy in spring is on its way.

After this, we read Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles in Chapter 29. This is the context of that verse many of us have heard and maybe even memorized:

‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.’ Jeremiah 29:11

As inspiring and Spring-oriented as these words are, they were spoken during a time of tremendous pain and difficulty. Winter’s edges were still hanging tight. The warnings and pleas from Jeremiah and other prophets fell on deaf ears.

The consequence for God’s People: exile and captivity. The Israelites made their proverbial bed and Babylon secured them in it. Winter hadn’t finished its work.

But because God is graciously kind, His promise accompanied the consequence. Doesn’t it always?

This is what the LORD says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.” Jeremiah 29:10, NLT

Can you hear the love in God’s voice? The hope? Joy in spring will come.

God.
Keeps.
His.
Promise.

God hasn’t forgotten His People even though they discarded him.

GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS LEAD TO JOY IN SPRING AFTER WINTER FINISHES ITS WORK

How does joy find expression during Israel’s captivity? How do we allow winter to finish its work and lead us to spring joy?

1. Verses 5-6 instructed them to ‘bloom where they’re planted.’

Build homes
Plant gardens
Get married
Have babies

Here’s a little secret. No one can control the how of your responses. Sure, people influence your access to resources, circumstances, and privileges—it happens all the time.

But no human has the power or authority to dictate how you respond.

Joy in spring is the result of practiced choices—your choices.

2. Verse 7 instructed them to work for peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile.

In other words:

Prosper while a prisoner.
Be a peacemaker. Don’t riot or cause problems.
Build up the community and add to its success in the way you live.
Pray for its welfare.

Friend, we are not to be removed or disconnected from the people around us—regardless of how they treat us or our status among them. On this side of heaven, we are ALL dependent on God’s interventions.

So, how about you?

Would you seek the welfare of the people holding you captive? Would you pray for your enemy?

JOY IN SPRING AFTER WINTER FINISHES ITS WORK REQUIRES WE UNPACK OUR BAGS

To do so, we must identify the stumbling blocks to ‘unpacking’ our bags. It’s how we allow winter to finish its work.

Some obstacles might include:

We think it’s only temporary. (Remember Hananiah?)
Things aren’t like they used to be.
I don’t like change and having to adjust.
Memories make our hearts ache for the ways things were before.

When we first moved to Illinois from Colorado, all I could think about was the grandeur of the mountains in contrast to the plainness of the fields in front of me. I didn’t want to make new friends—we already had an incredible community of family friends—back in Colorado!

Even the way they gave directions didn’t make any sense to me—follow the blacktop and turn left at the elevators for several miles until you reach the old Walmart. Who gives directions like that? And how does a new person know where the old Walmart was?

Truth is, I didn’t want to understand their directions.
I wanted to go back home.

Moving to Washington to serve as pastor at the Presbyterian Church wasn’t captivity—but at the time, it felt like it to me. It’s been nearly 20 years and Central Illinois has now become a home we treasure.

But for a long time, it wasn’t.

My heart ached for the way things were before. Winter had some work to do before spring joy was given an invitation.

Isn’t it often the case that looking back ‘glorifies and cleans up our memories’? Like the Israelites who complained about their wilderness trek, while dreaming about the ‘melons and cucumbers’ they ate while in Egypt when they were slaves. (I’m confident they weren’t munching on melons and cucumbers in between their demands of brick quotas without supplies.)

Perhaps we resist unpacking our bags because of:

fear of the unknown
the despair/shame/guilt for being in this situation at all—I made my bed and now I’m stuck in it—no unpacking for me
change of job
grandkids move away
an abusive situation we’ve left and can’t bear to face by unpacking

Our suitcases are packed for numerous reasons—littered with the few things we manage to carry.

At some point though, we must put aside the things that trip us up and unpack our bags—in order to allow winter to finish its work and choose joy in spring.

JOY IN SPRING FATER WINTER FINISHES ITS WORK IS GOD’S PROMISE: UNPACK YOUR BAGS AND ENTER MY JOY

Joy in spring grows in us when we take God at His Word.

But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. Jeremiah 29:10

Joy in spring grows in us when we trust God’s promises are true—even when there’s an abundance of packed soil to push through.

Like spring bulbs that endure the winter, we are exhorted to lean in closer to God. Choosing to trust that even in the dark places, God’s mercy and kindness are enough to lift us out.

That’s what Joy in Spring does. It lifts us out.

It acknowledges winter’s edges.
It recognizes the ways we’ve chosen to live outside the bounds of God’s warmth and life.

But Spring joy doesn’t’ allow us to stay there. Spring joy reaches forward and beckons us out to God’s promises that are for good and not for harm.

This kind of joy results in forwarding movement—toward God and toward others.

Spring Joy’s invitation?
Will you be brought home again—to a new beginning with God at the center?

FOR YOUR REFLECTION

As you risk choosing joy around winter’s edges into spring:

Where does God want to take you?
What must you leave behind?
Identify your stumbling blocks to genuinely unpacking and staying awhile.
How might you serve your community? What will you do and how will you do it?
Write a brief prayer for your neighborhood or community. Then pray it–3 times this week.

FOR YOU TO PRAY

God of promises, You make a way where there seems to be no way. I look around and see layer after layer of hard and unfamiliar territory. I don’t want to go this way. I want to go back to the way things were—when I knew what was coming and I had a glimmer of control.

But You show me a new path. You remind me You are already there. You promise plans that are good and not filled with disaster. Thank you, God, for Your promise to listen and to be present. You promise me hope and a future.

Strengthen me to choose joy in spring—even when I am captive to distractions around me.

I belong to You. My joy comes from You.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Until next time, may the generosity of God’s grace move you to Joy in Spring.

Episode 2, Spring Joy: Unpack Your Bags