Well, I couldn’t believe it as I got in my car to run an errand at lunchtime today. Sure enough, as I looked out the window and I put my jacket on, there it was, as plain as day – SNOW! And I don’t just mean a flurry or two. This was a full fledged snowfall. It was still in the mid 30’s, so it wasn’t sticking, but it was a little slick walking to my car.
Now I like the change of seasons as much as the next person, but I am NOT ready for snow yet. We haven’t even had Halloween, let alone Thanksgiving, and I really would like the snow to hold off a little – but a white Christmas is fine with me.
Every time the first snow flies, I am reminded of the book of Job in the Bible. The story surrounds the life of Job, a man who was faithful to God. Satan, in his bid to see how he could turn people away from the Father, sought God’s permission to torment Job. Gradually, Job lost his family, his wealth and almost everything of value or importance to him. Most of the middle of the book is dedicated to three rounds of conversations between Job and several of his friends. The basic idea here is that his friends thought that maybe Job did something to invoke the wrath of God. That was not the case.
Rather, God permitted Satan to torment Job as long as Satan did not take Job’s life. It’s one of the most difficult books of the Bible to understand because we can’t fathom why God would allow Satan this kind of access to one of God’s faithful people. Near the end of the book, Job and God have quite a conversation. Basically, Job starts to question God and as the last several chapters play out, God asks rhetorical questions that Job must listen to. This section of Scripture is one of the most awesome areas of the entire Bible as God recounts the beginning of creation and the magnificence of the animals and the rest of the things that have been created. We can even read about the leviathans and the storehouses for the snow. If you have never read these passages, I encourage you to do so – you’re in for a treat.
The verse for this evening is one of the gentler verses in this section of the book, but powerful nonetheless. We are told, in Job 37:6, “He says to the snow, “Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.” In other words, God controls the snow and the rain, as well as everything else and it as at his direction that the weather happens. My encouragement this evening is that nature bows to the Father and so should all of us. God wants the best for us and just as Job was restored to his former position after his encounter with Satan, we may go through hard times but God encourages us to remain faithful to him. My prayer is that you will experience the awesome power and majesty of God and that you may be blessed all the days of your life. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…