After the first cold weather, I mean even the faintest hint of cold weather, this is the day I eagerly wait for. I know there is much more sloppy, cold, blustery, yuck-laden days ahead, but just knowing that the days are getting longer is a comfort to me. It won’t be long after the hustle and bustle of the “holiday season” and bowl games that I’ll be planting taters and onions. Yes sir, after today, as cold as winter may be, the daylight gets just a little bit longer each day.
It makes a good analogy for sanctification. Once God saves us out of the coldness and darkness of our selfish little lives, the shortest day has come and gone. Every day that follows may not be perfect, some may be down right terrible. But God is at work in us, both to will and to work His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13), and we can be confident that He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion at the day of Christ (Philippians 1:6). Have you ever noticed how Paul skips over “sanctified” in Romans 8:30; he jumps from “justified” straight to “glorified”. With Paul anctification is just a given, and it only has one end result. There is no turning back. We are headed to high summer in Emmanuel’s land, and there is no turning back.
And what about this Emmanuel’s land? I’ll bet it will be better than planting taters and onions. That reminds me of an old Tanglewood hymn we use to sing. More about that later.