This is Groundhog Day.

The crowd grows larger and more excited by the minute. And as the time draws near, they push forward, each person trying to get a good look. Then the creature emerges—it’s dark and furry, bigger than a squirrel, about the size of a small dog, and built close to the earth. Taking a few hesitant steps on this cloudy morning, it seems bold and in no hurry to return to its hole. And the crowd cheers.

The place? Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The occasion? Groundhog Day. Tradition holds that if the groundhog sees its shadow and is frightened back into its hole, then we’ll have six more weeks of winter. But if it doesn’t run scared, we’ll have an early spring. At least that’s the idea—the hope.

By February, people who have to struggle with the cold, ice, and snow of winter are tired of it all. They want spring to come early, the sooner the better. So they celebrate with Punxsutawney Phil and the crowd and hope.

Everyone needs hope. Imagine winter without spring, night without morning, school with no vacation, or sickness without the possibility of getting well. People without hope become very discouraged.

The Bible talks a lot about hope because God offers hope to everyone who believes—hope for forgiveness and for eternal life. And because God is the one offering the hope, we know it’s true and real.

So when you feel like you’re in an endless winter, remember God. Look up to him and hope. You can do this anytime—he’s always available—and you don’t have to wait for a furry animal to make its move.

Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. They give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises (Romans 15:4).

To Do

Draw an arrow on a piece of paper. Make it about two inches wide and eight inches long. Write HOPE on the arrow and pin it to your bulletin board in your room, pointing up. Use it to remind you to look up to God for hope.

Also on this day . . .

1802—The first leopard to be exhibited in the United States was shown by Othello Pollard in Boston, Massachusetts.

1863—Samuel Langhorne Clemens used a different name for himself for the first time. He is better remembered by that name—Mark Twain.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.