03/11/2026
Published in March issue of the Good News NW
Spring Forth
By Elijah Raines
Spring is almost here, and at this time of year in the Northwest, you can start to see some green grass springing up in places. You may notice branches getting tender, ready to leaf out. Longer days and hopefully more sun brings warmer weather as the seasons change. The change of season that God put in place in the begining in Genesis 1:14: “Then God said, ‘Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years.’” Spring is about new life, a gardener plows the ground, preparing the soil to plant the seed. The shepherd tends his sheep as the ewes grow closer to the day of delievery of baby sheep. Animals have it hardwired into them in the wild to have their young in the spring when life abounds and everything overflows with abundance. And God put spring in place in the the first chapter of the bible. We need Spring just like we need Summer, Fall, and Winter, every season was ordered and ordained by God for our good. Every season has its purpose. Seasons can be spiritual. We go through seasons in life and seasons in relationships. Trees grow tall and their roots grow deep. During winter they mostly are dormant, holding on til spring. The trees hold onto the health they had from the previous year in anticipation of Spring so they can burst through with new life. A gardener cuts back the fruit tree so it can be even more fruitful in spring. Many trees can be mistaken for dead at a distance during winter months unless you know what to look for in each tree. God’s plan for spring is to bring new life, new hopes, new dreams, and he started the cycle in the first chapter of the Bible. When God starts something, it goes on— we can count on it, like the sunrise and the sunset, because he put it in place. Spring was spoken into existence just like the world, the universe, or you or me. God creates by speaking— he spoke and it happened. God has a spring for you and your spring doesn’t have to look like my spring. God brings life into our lives by his word, he speaks and things happen. Our hardships need a word from God, our shortcomings need a word from God, our lack needs a word from God. The Bible is full of promises for us to take hold of, but we need the Holy Spirit to speak through those words. Words on a page can turn into law but the Holy Spirit speaks and breathes through the word and brings new life. Now words on a page can bring the Spring of new life into our lives. With life abounding in Spring, there is no better time to celebrate Jesus. His death and resurrection happened in the spring, and God the father ordained it. While Jesus hung on the cross, life was waiting to spring forth, just like the tender branches waiting to burst forth with life. Like Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.” John 12:24 Spring was put in place with creation for Adam and Eve and all their desandants. Jesus who is often described as the “second Adam,” brought new life into spring! Jesus overcame all death, all decay, all sin. See what it says in 1 Corinthians 15:56-57: “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” New life from Jesus comes with victory. God doesn’t do anything halfway— he brings new life and gives us the victory that Jesus paid for by his own blood. Jesus went to the cross to give us the victory. God calls us into his family, not as servants but as sons and daughters of God. The battle is won, the price is paid, our sins have lost all the power to hold us down. Jesus overcame sin so that we, through the Holy Spirit, can receive his victory as our own. Our sins were nailed to the cross. When Jesus died there was a earthquake that shook this world to its core... and the world is still shaking. We receive his earth-shaking power by faith, faith in what Jesus did, his death and his resurrection. He can shake off sin, can change hearts, heal bodies, heal families, heal minds. He has been doing it for 2,000 years and he can still do it now.“The Romans Road to Salvation”Romans 3:23 (The Need): “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Everyone needs salvation).Romans 6:23a (The Consequence): “For the wages of sin is death.” (The penalty for sin is spiritual death).Romans 6:23b (The Gift): “...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (God offers salvation freely).Romans 5:8 (The Provision): “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Jesus died in our place).Romans 10:9-10 (The Response): “...if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Salvation through faith and confession).Romans 10:13 (The Promise): “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”Romans 5:1 (The Result): “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”Romans 8:1 (No Condemnation): “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We come to God in faith, faith that he is who he says that he is and he does what he says that he does.
Thanks be to God!
