The Season of Singing Has Come - The Crosswalk Devotional - March 20

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The Season of Singing Has Come
By Whitney Hopler

Bible Reading:
“Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.” – Song of Songs 2:12

Spring, where I live in Virginia, is like God showing off his amazing artwork. Trees that had bare branches all winter suddenly have beautiful dogwood flowers, so I see pink and white blooms all around me. Often, while I’m walking outside enjoying the dogwood trees and other flowers in my neighborhood, I’ll hear the soothing sound of doves. Everything feels like it’s waking up. During the spring, when I see the dogwoods and hear the doves, I just want to thank God. After the cold winter, spring feels like a promise kept. It shows how faithful God is. Just like nature comes back to life in the spring, God can refresh us, as well, by giving us hope. The same God who has designed spring flowers and songbirds like doves can also give us new energy when we’re tired. God is always working, getting us ready for the good things to come – even when we’re going through challenges. 

The spring season also reminds us that nothing in our lives stays the same. Just like winter goes away, our problems and worries won’t last forever, either. God is always doing something to bring change and get us ready for what’s next. When we face challenging situations, we can trust that God is helping us grow, even if we don’t see it yet. Like trees that grow buds before they flower, our faith might need time to get stronger before we see God’s plans coming to life in our lives.

Spring is my favorite season, because it’s so full of new life! Flowers appear, baby animals are born, rain renews plants, and warmer temperatures encourage people to get outside and enjoy God’s creation more. Every spring day shows us how God’s design revives and renews our physical world. The more we spend time in nature during the spring “season of singing” – as Song of Songs poetically describes it – the more we can be inspired to seek spiritual renewal and revival

It’s natural in the spring to look forward to what the future holds. Like farmers getting ready to plant in the spring, we should get our hearts ready with faith in the spring. God often works to answer our prayers in ways we can’t see, like seeds underground before they grow. Even if we don’t see what God is doing right away, we can trust that God is working while we wait. The flowers we see now were once hidden, but they came out at the right time. God’s plans for us will also happen in the best timing

Spring gives us a chance to start fresh with more faith – to leave the “winters” in our lives behind and really enjoy the life God offers. The spring season is a time to praise God, celebrate God’s goodness, and embrace the hope God gives us. Spring is a time for singing – not just outside, but inside us too. Will we join in? When we hear birds singing this spring, we can let that inspire us to sing to God in worship.

Maybe you’re waiting for something, hoping for a positive change to happen in your life. Or, maybe you’re wondering if a challenging situation you’re dealing with will ever get better. Think of spring as God’s way of reminding you that he makes everything new. Just like the flowers bloom when they’re supposed to, God is working in your life with good plans to bring you hope. 

So, go outside today and enjoy the beautiful world around you. Let the dogwoods, the doves, and the warm breeze remind you that hope is always there for you. Enjoy this time of singing, and thank God for working to bring fresh hope to you in every season. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As you consider how God gives you hope in every season, reflect on these questions:

  • How has God renewed your hope in past seasons of your life? 
  • What signs of new life do you see around you today that remind you of God’s presence? 
  • If you’re currently in a season of waiting, how can you hold onto hope during this time? 
  • How can you practice gratitude, even during difficult seasons? 
  • What is one way you can share the hope of God’s renewal with someone else today? 

Further Reading:
Psalm 96:1-2
Isaiah 43:19
Lamentations 3:22-23
2 Corinthians 5:17
Romans 15:13

Photo Credit: ©Pixabay/jplenio


headshot of author Whitney HoplerWhitney Hopler helps people discover God's wonder and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books Wake Up to Wonder and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel Dream Factory. Whitney has served as an editor at leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA’s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She currently leads the communications work at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Connect with Whitney on her website at www.whitneyhopler.com and on her Facebook author page.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com

Listen to the Jesus Calling Podcast!

Welcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young’s seasonal prayer devotional Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today, we are featuring guests who speak to themes that all of us might be experiencing in this season of winter. As the days grow shorter and the night longer, we are offered a rare gift: permission to stop. This season can be a challenging time for many, and if you are struggling with low spirits, please know you are not alone, and help is available. This episode is an opportunity to honor your weariness, to resist the urge to rush, and to discover the profound healing that happens when we simply let ourselves rest in the stillness. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

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Salem Radio Network Speakers

Larry Elder is an American lawyer, writer, and radio and television personality who calls himself the "Sage of South Central" a district of Los Angeles, Larry says his philosophy is to entertain, inform, provoke and to hopefully uplift. His calling card is "we have a country to save" and to him this means returning to the bedrock Constitutional principles of limited government and maximum personal responsibility. Elder's iconoclastic wit and intellectual agility makes him a particularly attractive voice in a nation that seems weary of traditional racial dialogue.” – Los Angeles Times.

Mike Gallagher Mike Gallagher began his broadcasting career in 1978 in Dayton, Ohio. Today, he is one of the most listened-to talk radio show hosts in America, recently having been ranked in the Talkers Magazine “Heavy Hundred” list – the 100 most important talk radio hosts in America. Prior to being launched into national syndication in 1998, Mike hosted the morning show on WABC-AM in New York City. Today, Talkers Magazine reports that his show is heard by over 3.75 million weekly listeners. Besides his radio work, Mike is seen on Fox News Channel as an on-air contributor, frequently appearing on the cable news giant.

Hugh Hewitt is one of the nation’s leading bloggers and a genuine media revolutionary. He brings that expertise, his wit and what The New Yorker magazine calls his “amiable but relentless manner” to his nationally syndicated show each day.

When Dr. Sebastian Gorka was growing up, he listened to talk radio under his pillow with a transistor radio, dreaming that one day he would be behind the microphone. Beginning New Year’s Day 2019, he got his wish. Gorka now hosts America First every weekday afternoon 3 to 6pm ET. Gorka’s unique story works well on the radio. He is national security analyst for the Fox News Channel and author of two books: "Why We Fight" and "Defeating Jihad." His latest book releasing this fall is “War For America’s Soul.” He is uniquely qualified to fight the culture war and stand up for what is great about America, his adopted home country.

Broadcasting from his home station of KRLA in Los Angeles, the Dennis Prager Show is heard across the country. Everything in life – from politics to religion to relationships – is grist for Dennis’ mill. If it’s interesting, if it affects your life, then Dennis will be talking about it – with passion, humor, insight and wisdom.

Sean Hannity is a conservative radio and television host, and one of the original primetime hosts on the Fox News Channel, where he has appeared since 1996. Sean Hannity began his radio career at a college station in California, before moving on to markets in the Southeast and New York. Today, he’s one of the most listened to on-air voices. Hannity’s radio program went into national syndication on September 10, 2001, and airs on more than 500 stations. Talkers Magazine estimates Hannity’s weekly radio audience at 13.5 million. In 1996 he was hired as one of the original hosts on Fox News Channel. As host of several popular Fox programs, Hannity has become the highest-paid news anchor on television.

Michelle Malkin is a mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, longtime cable TV news commentator, and best-selling author of six books. She started her newspaper journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1992, moved to the Seattle Times in 1995, and has been penning nationally syndicated newspaper columns for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She is founder of conservative Internet start-ups Hot Air and Twitchy.com. Malkin has received numerous awards for her investigative journalism, including the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) national award for outstanding service for the cause of governmental ethics and leadership (1998), the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award for Investigative Journalism (2006), the Heritage Foundation and Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity's Breitbart Award for Excellence in Journalism (2013), the Center for Immigration Studies' Eugene Katz Award for Excellence in the Coverage of Immigration Award (2016), and the Manhattan Film Festival's Film Heals Award (2018). Married for 26 years and the mother of two teenage children, she lives with her family in Colorado. Follow her at michellemalkin.com. (Photo reprinted with kind permission from Peter Duke Photography.)

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The Season of Singing Has Come - The Crosswalk Devotional - March 20

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

The Crosswalk Devotional updated banner logo

The Season of Singing Has Come
By Whitney Hopler

Bible Reading:
“Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.” – Song of Songs 2:12

Spring, where I live in Virginia, is like God showing off his amazing artwork. Trees that had bare branches all winter suddenly have beautiful dogwood flowers, so I see pink and white blooms all around me. Often, while I’m walking outside enjoying the dogwood trees and other flowers in my neighborhood, I’ll hear the soothing sound of doves. Everything feels like it’s waking up. During the spring, when I see the dogwoods and hear the doves, I just want to thank God. After the cold winter, spring feels like a promise kept. It shows how faithful God is. Just like nature comes back to life in the spring, God can refresh us, as well, by giving us hope. The same God who has designed spring flowers and songbirds like doves can also give us new energy when we’re tired. God is always working, getting us ready for the good things to come – even when we’re going through challenges. 

The spring season also reminds us that nothing in our lives stays the same. Just like winter goes away, our problems and worries won’t last forever, either. God is always doing something to bring change and get us ready for what’s next. When we face challenging situations, we can trust that God is helping us grow, even if we don’t see it yet. Like trees that grow buds before they flower, our faith might need time to get stronger before we see God’s plans coming to life in our lives.

Spring is my favorite season, because it’s so full of new life! Flowers appear, baby animals are born, rain renews plants, and warmer temperatures encourage people to get outside and enjoy God’s creation more. Every spring day shows us how God’s design revives and renews our physical world. The more we spend time in nature during the spring “season of singing” – as Song of Songs poetically describes it – the more we can be inspired to seek spiritual renewal and revival

It’s natural in the spring to look forward to what the future holds. Like farmers getting ready to plant in the spring, we should get our hearts ready with faith in the spring. God often works to answer our prayers in ways we can’t see, like seeds underground before they grow. Even if we don’t see what God is doing right away, we can trust that God is working while we wait. The flowers we see now were once hidden, but they came out at the right time. God’s plans for us will also happen in the best timing

Spring gives us a chance to start fresh with more faith – to leave the “winters” in our lives behind and really enjoy the life God offers. The spring season is a time to praise God, celebrate God’s goodness, and embrace the hope God gives us. Spring is a time for singing – not just outside, but inside us too. Will we join in? When we hear birds singing this spring, we can let that inspire us to sing to God in worship.

Maybe you’re waiting for something, hoping for a positive change to happen in your life. Or, maybe you’re wondering if a challenging situation you’re dealing with will ever get better. Think of spring as God’s way of reminding you that he makes everything new. Just like the flowers bloom when they’re supposed to, God is working in your life with good plans to bring you hope. 

So, go outside today and enjoy the beautiful world around you. Let the dogwoods, the doves, and the warm breeze remind you that hope is always there for you. Enjoy this time of singing, and thank God for working to bring fresh hope to you in every season. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As you consider how God gives you hope in every season, reflect on these questions:

  • How has God renewed your hope in past seasons of your life? 
  • What signs of new life do you see around you today that remind you of God’s presence? 
  • If you’re currently in a season of waiting, how can you hold onto hope during this time? 
  • How can you practice gratitude, even during difficult seasons? 
  • What is one way you can share the hope of God’s renewal with someone else today? 

Further Reading:
Psalm 96:1-2
Isaiah 43:19
Lamentations 3:22-23
2 Corinthians 5:17
Romans 15:13

Photo Credit: ©Pixabay/jplenio


headshot of author Whitney HoplerWhitney Hopler helps people discover God's wonder and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books Wake Up to Wonder and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel Dream Factory. Whitney has served as an editor at leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA’s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She currently leads the communications work at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Connect with Whitney on her website at www.whitneyhopler.com and on her Facebook author page.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com

Listen to the Jesus Calling Podcast!

Welcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young’s seasonal prayer devotional Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today, we are featuring guests who speak to themes that all of us might be experiencing in this season of winter. As the days grow shorter and the night longer, we are offered a rare gift: permission to stop. This season can be a challenging time for many, and if you are struggling with low spirits, please know you are not alone, and help is available. This episode is an opportunity to honor your weariness, to resist the urge to rush, and to discover the profound healing that happens when we simply let ourselves rest in the stillness. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

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