Restoring Joy: Seeking God in Seasons of Waiting
February can be a tough winter month. We’re through the fun of the holidays, back into a routine with school and work, but the sky has been gray for weeks and it doesn’t feel like spring is getting here any time soon. If you’ve ever been in a “winter” season spiritually, it can feel a lot like February. Winter seasons are tricky - you know it will end at some point because it can’t be winter forever, but when you’re in it, it can feel isolating, stagnant and lifeless. Joy seems long gone and you’re not sure when the gray is going to end.
During my last spiritual winter season, I’ll be honest, I was pretty upset with God. I was disappointed in Him because I felt like He didn’t follow through on His end of the deal in a certain situation. And because I was upset and angry, I didn’t want to spend time with Him in prayer or Scripture. There was no joy and no desire. I was waiting for Him to fix the situation so that we could move on and get back to “normal”. It was quite the stalemate! Looking back, I see how flawed my thinking was. In His kindness, over time, God revealed some of those gaps in my understanding. One of the biggest gaps was believing I had to wait for my circumstances to change (aka get my own way) before I could experience joy in my relationship with the Lord again.
One of the verses I came across during this time was, Psalm 51:12. It says, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” (Bible, ESV). I instantly related to David asking for restoration, because I needed that myself. What surprised me about this verse though, is that David is not the one that is restoring and upholding. David is asking God to be the One to restore his joy in Christ’s salvation and to have the LORD uphold him.
I began praying this verse over myself and asking the Lord to restore my joy in Him. And in His kindness, He answered. Slowly, the desire returned. I began reading more Scripture, even just a verse a day. I joined a discipleship group with other women so that they could hold me accountable in reading and memorizing the Word. They encouraged me to grow in Christ, but they also prayed for me on a regular basis. I started reading the Bible Recap and truly loved learning more about His Word.
Months after I began praying this verse, I realized the Lord had answered my prayers – restoring me to the joy of His salvation. He upheld me to have a willing spirit to obey Him. The joy in Him was not a result of me striving, but of a prayer to Him.
My circumstances didn’t change at all through this time. We are still praying and waiting expectantly on the Lord to answer! But my heart posture towards Him in the waiting is completely different. It has shifted my season to spring, bringing new growth in Him.
“The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.”
Psalm 145:18, ESV
If you find yourself in a winter season with your relationship with the Lord, ask Him to change your desire! What loving Father wouldn’t want his daughter to long to spend time with Him? He is a good Father who delights in giving good gifts to His children. And as Tara-Leigh Cobble says, “He is where the joy is!” (The Bible Recap, 2020).
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