The Comfort and Warmth of Trusting God
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV)
It’s another bitterly cold, snowy day in the South—something we’re not accustomed to handling well. I’ve spent a good part of the day bundled up in a fleece blanket with my hands wrapped around a warm mug of tea, my go-to indulgence. Tonight, I’ll switch to hot chocolate!
Even though the year is new and my plans abound, bleak mornings in January stretch into dreary afternoons in February. My only consolation is in watching the beauty of snowfall. It makes me want to cozy up indoors until Easter!
Do you have the same kind of paralysis? Does the shortage of sunshine make you depressed? Getting out into cold weather takes courage, strength, and energy—especially for people who deliver mail, do utility work outdoors, and serve as first responders. (Yes, I imagine you Florida folks have the same problems in July when too much hot sunshine sends you into siestas.)
These are the months when my walk with God is tested. My faith wobbles, torn between my temptation to hibernate and my determination to forge ahead with work God has given me. It’s a toss-up, moment by moment.
If you find yourself in the same predicament, let’s look at this together from God’s point of view. In one sense, God sends winter to our Earth for rest and renewal. Yet He has purposes for each one of us to fulfill, and He calls us to be diligent in serving Him regardless of the season. He doesn’t always invite us to retreat.
Just as dangerous situations require courage, trust is often the key to coping with mundane issues of wintertime. We have to deepen our faith in the Lord and His plans. We need to armor up for the battlefield, step out into the fray, and get back into the icy conditions of spiritual warfare.
When we do, something remarkable happens through our trust. Our Comforter, the Holy Spirit, steps in. He holds our hands, reassures us that His presence is with us, and covers us with His warmth and guidance. As we place more of our trust in Him and less in ourselves, He transforms us into energized people of faith. He melts the frozen places in our hearts by His love.
That’s comforting, isn’t it? That we can rely on God to breathe warmth, light, and promise into our souls when we trust Him completely? The less we trust in ourselves and the more we follow His guidance, the greater our peace and joy, even on darkened days.
Friend, if you’re in a desolate place, spend time in the early hours of the day reconnecting with God through His word. Search for the word “trust,” and you’ll find it appears between 150 to 200 times in most translations. The Psalms are full of consolation that comes from trusting in God and His plans, such as this declaration from King David about answers to prayer: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him” (Psalm 28:7 NKJV).
Today, trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Let Him direct your paths. Accept His warmth and comfort like a toasty-warm fleece wrap…even better than a cup of hot chocolate!
God, send Your Holy Spirit to walk with me, strengthen my heart, and guide my steps. May my trust in You deepen every day. Call me to step out in faith, counting on Your fulfillment of Your promises. Grant me victory over fear, and let my reliance be entirely in You. Help me to honor Your Son, Jesus Christ, in all I do. ’Tis so sweet to trust in You, Jesus…oh, for grace to trust You more. In Your precious name, Amen.
Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism. Williams is the author of the novel To Love a Falcon and the devotional book A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility. Her blogs are featured on Crossmap.com and AriseDaily. To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at NancyCWilliams.com and subscribe at the bottom.
© Copyright 2025 Nancy C. Williams (text and photography). Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #trust #arcticweather #trustintheLord #spiritualwarfare #hibernation
