The Winter Tree

Reflection 

There are seasons in the life of every believer when all outward signs of life seem to disappear. The soul feels stripped bare, prayers seem unanswered, and spiritual fruit looks absent. We may even wonder if something within us has withered away.  

Yet these very seasons can be the most important in our walk with God. They are not wasted moments, but sacred times of hidden growth.  

Think of a tree in winter. Its branches are barren, its leaves have fallen, and to the untrained eye it looks lifeless. Children stop climbing it, birds stop nesting in it, and neighbors may even assume the tree is finished. But underground—where the eye cannot see—the roots are pushing deeper, reaching further into the soil to draw water from hidden streams. Far from being dead the tree is actually more alive than ever. The tree is preparing for the next season of fruitfulness.  

So it is with the soul.  

God often allows a “winter” season so that our roots may grow deeper in Him. If we always lived in summer, clothed with leaves and fruit, we might begin to trust in what is seen—our gifts, our activity, or our feelings. But winter strips all of that away. It teaches us to live not by sight but by faith. It reminds us that our life is hidden in Christ, not in appearances.  

In these hidden seasons, God invites us to sink our roots deeper into His presence, to drink of His living water in ways that no one else can see. What feels like barrenness is actually strengthening. What looks like loss is preparation. What seems like silence is God’s quietest and deepest work.  

And just as surely as spring follows winter, renewal will come. Buds will appear, leaves will return, blossoms will open, and fruit will once again be seen. But the fruit will be richer, the branches stronger, and the tree more stable—because of what happened unseen in the winter.  

The tree does not panic in winter. It does not force itself to produce leaves out of season. It simply abides. So too, in our spiritual winters, we are called not to strive but to rest, trusting that God is working in the depths.  

Winter is not death—it is preparation for life.  

Reflection Questions 

1. Have you ever walked through a season that felt barren or lifeless, yet later you realized God was strengthening you through it?  

2. What do you tend to rely on more: visible fruit and feelings, or the hidden work of God?  

3. How can you embrace a winter season instead of fighting against it?  

4. What spiritual practices (stillness, Scripture, prayer, silence) can help your “roots” grow deeper even when no fruit is visible?  

5. How might your family or community benefit if you allow God to do His hidden work in you during your winters?  

Journaling Prompt 

Take a few moments to reflect on an area of your life that feels barren right now—perhaps a relationship, a prayer, or an area of growth where you see no progress.  Write honestly about how this feels.  

Then, shift your perspective: write a declaration of trust that, though unseen, God is working beneath the surface. Picture your soul like a tree in winter—roots pressing deeper, preparing for a new season. Write out a prayer of gratitude for the hidden work He is doing in you.  

Prayer 

Father, teach me to trust You in every season. When I feel stripped and barren, remind me that You are not absent but at work in the depths of my soul. Let me not fear the silence, nor despise the winter, but rest in the assurance that my roots are growing deeper in Your love.  

Lord, I surrender my impatience for visible results. Help me to abide, trusting that fruit will come in Your time. Make me like a tree planted by the waters—steady, unshaken, and fruitful in every season. Thank You that even when I cannot see it, You are preparing me for renewal. Amen.  

Practical Application 

● Silent Abiding: Spend 10 minutes today in stillness before God. Picture yourself as a tree in winter. Instead of striving, simply rest and imagine your roots pressing deeper into Him.  

● Scripture Rooting: Choose one Scripture about God’s faithfulness (e.g., Psalm 1, Jeremiah 17, John 15). Read it slowly, as if you are drinking water through your roots.  

● Hidden Gratitude: Write down three ways God might be working in your life unseen. Thank Him for these hidden blessings.  

● Wait with Hope: When you feel frustrated by a lack of fruit, remind yourself: “Spring will come.” Say it aloud as a declaration of faith.  

● Family Practice: Share with your loved ones one “winter lesson” you are learning.  Ask them what hidden work God might be doing in their lives too.  

● Kneeling and Journaling: Take time on your knees in prayer with your journal.  Ask God specific questions about the season you find yourself in: 

  ○ What are You teaching me in this winter?  

  ○ Where are You growing my roots deeper?  

  ○ How can I remain faithful and give out even in dryness?  

  Write down any insights, impressions, or encouragements He gives, trusting that His answers may come gradually and in hidden ways.  

Remember: Winter is not wasted. The hidden season is the season of roots. What looks like death is often the doorway to greater life.  

And in every season—even in the dry and barren ones—we are called to keep giving out. The Word says: 

“If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.  The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.” — Isaiah 58:10–12 

Even in our winter seasons, when we feel empty, God calls us to pour out to others in faith. As we do, He promises to guide us, strengthen us, and make us like a garden that never dries up. Giving is not meant to wait for spring—it is often in winter that our giving becomes the very channel through which God refreshes us and prepares us for greater fruitfulness.