2010-01-09 - God Gives Snow

Psalm 147:16, "He gives snow."

We are prone to say, in our culture, at least on a day snow is expected, "It's snowing," or "It's going to snow." This is a modern way of looking at life. In the past, people would have been more prone to say, "God is sending snow." The difference is obvious. The second way of thinking gives more glory to God. The second way of thinking acknowledges that it is in the Lord that we live, move, and have our being. In the Lord, it snows, or it doesn't snow. He gives snow. He sends snow. This is of the Lord, and if you look a little more into the passage (Ps. 147:12-20), it is the Lord who does much. Those who love the Lord will say to all His dealings, "Praise the Lord!" (Ps. 147:20).

We are bound to our Lord in love. He has loved us, and we cannot fail to love Him. What is our response to God's love? Each of us has gifts and talents. Some of us have a God-given propensity toward the sciences, or humanities. Some of us love to be around people, and others of us long for times of quiet and solitude. Our abilities differ, and so do our opportunities. Our calling is to respond to God's love usward, by living faithfully unto Him. God does not take notice as much in our beauty, ability, social standing, and strength as He does in how we faithfully use what He has given us. You can learn Greek and Hebrew, but if you use your learning for selfish ends, and not to serve the God whose Earth you clutter, you are of less use than one who knows none of the Biblical languages, but faithfully teaches her children to fear God and flee from sin.

Someone may be a great humanitarian, but if they serve their fellow man without loving their Creator, they have put the second commandment before the first. The first commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind. The second commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves, but if we do the second, while neglecting the first, we lose the eternal for the temporal. First, we love God. First, we seek the Lord. Then we will know how to love our neighbor in a way that pleases the Living God. Our judgment of ourselves is probably very often different than God's judgment of us.

Our hope is always found in God. It is in His mercy, His love, His tender care. We, who have known God's tenderheartedness, learn from this how to be tenderhearted to one another (Eph. 4:32). How shall we then live? We live so as to please God. We live to please the God who sends the snow. What if this is not pleasing to others? That is a secondary question. It may not please others, but if we are pleasing God, then we need not worry so much about the second question of pleasing others. Our first responsibility is to please the Lord. He not only sends snow; He sends blessings. He sends kindness. He is, in Himself, all kindness and mercy to His children. We are first concerned to please the Lord, and walk with Him, knowing that He will send us His smiles, as we seek Him above all else.

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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