This is a truly wonderful time of year. The extended daylight hours and strengthened sunshine all help to transform our landscape and yards into a verdant array of flowering plants, from tenacious crocuses, tulips and hyacinths to the delicate blossoms on the fruit trees. Colour abounds everywhere as an expression of new life. The brown dried grass has been replaced with a luxurious green carpet that is rivalled only by the variety of trees budding into a multiplicity of green hues. Besides pleasing to our eyes, our sense of smell is blessed as well with the sweet aromas reserved for this amazing time of year.

In the Bible, the writer of the Song of Songs used this season as analogy of two lovers, the shepherd and the Shulamite maiden, rejoicing in their mutual love and friendship:

“My beloved speaks and says to me: ‘Arise my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance.

Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.’” (Song of Songs 2:10-13 ESV)

This time of year and the Scriptures serves to remind me of what a believer’s relationship with the Lord Jesus can be – spring like. Expressive, fresh, colorful, sweet, fruitful, attractive, beautiful. As we allow Him to control us with His love and His Word, the landscape of our lives will be transformed, increasingly showing forth the beauty of His life. Our fellowship with Him will be refreshing and a sweet smelling aroma (Eph. 5:2).

Romans 6:4b “And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” (Emphasis mine)

by Pastor Russell Fisher (ret’d)