Ice and Snow

Johnny Bench is probably the best hitting catcher of all time with a career .267 batting average. That means he failed 73% of the time. If he would have carried that average into a career as a weatherman, he'd been the greatest meteorologist of all time. I check the weather like anyone else, and I know they do their best to predict the somewhat unpredictable, and I treat it as such, a guess based on the best data they have at the moment. And that's a 3 day forecast. Why anyone would believe the same group of people can predict what the weather is going to be like in 20 years is beyond me.

Besides baseball and being wrong about the weather, another favorite American pastime is complaining about the weather. Sometimes I think we watch the forecast so we can prepare our hearts for how best to complain about it. But really, Christians should praise the Lord for the weather He sends us. To be sure, I have my favorites, but the Lord sends us the weather He wants us to have. In fact, it's a point of praise and source of comfort in the 147th Psalm. The Lord heals the brokenhearted, binds up our wounds, and lifts up the meek. Can the Lord Jesus really do that? Well, he is the same God who made the stars, knows their number, and knows the name He gave them. You can buy a certificate and name a star, but God already has named them. God is all powerful and loves his people. Those two facts should comfort you.

Psalms 147:16-18, "He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold? He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow." I was thinking about this verse early Thursday morning. I walked outside to see if the weatherman was right. Everything was covered in white, as if someone laid wool over the earth. It was rather peaceful. No trucks rumbling down the road late for work. Just the quiet of a snow fall. Snow dampens sound waves, so that's why it's so quiet after a big snow. That's also the Lord's blessing to us. We got a little bit of ice and that's my God as well. He sends the ice like crumbs of bread. And, maybe, by the time you read this, the snow is already a distant memory. The Lord will cause the wind to blow and warm air will make its way to the region, the snow will melt and make its way to the creeks and rivers and the waters will flow. That's the way the world works and as long as Earth remains, that's how it will continue to be (Genesis 8:22). Snow, ice, and frigid cold come from God. And so does the Spring, which is just around the corner. The Lord is faithful.