Pastor Tom's Community

“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near.”
—Mark 13:28

It may not be summer yet, but summer is coming.

A change of season is always on the way.

While we do not want to spend our lives jumping ahead to the next thing, we need to recognize what is approaching. The call to live faithfully in this moment does not preclude an awareness of the future or preparation for it.

Nature gives us visible signs of its cycles.

God also gives us signs that history is moving toward his ultimate purposes. These signs do not provide dates, months, or years, but they assure us that there is movement.

Times are always changing, and that is no accident.

God is at work today, as he was yesterday and will be tomorrow. The seasons of ripening and growth are coming. Summer is approaching. In God’s eternal purpose, the redemption of all things draws nearer.

To those of us who are earthbound, it may seem like a long wait. To God, it is only a flicker in time.

Never grow weary while waiting for God.

Look at the changing trees, the emerging flowers, and the growing crops. Observe the blossoms and the tiny promises of fruit. They point toward an even greater promise.

The very things that discourage us and cause us dismay might become indicators that God is present and his kingdom is coming. We are not called to lives of pessimism and gloom.

We are called to be summer people—even in winter.

God has infused us with the capacity for hope, optimism, and anticipation. We are not trapped in an endless cycle of defeat and despair. The sinful schemes of sinister souls will not continue unabated.

God is working out his purposes, and summer is coming.

Rejoice and be glad. The leaves of promise are already appearing.