Snow and God's glory

"Where is the snow?" I was asked that question by one of the members of our church as I visited her at home on Thursday afternoon. It has been a dry year in Dulce, ever since last winter. For most of the year the fire danger was "very high," and rivers in the area ran on the low side. On the reservation we had daytime restrictions on water usage and there was a ban on burn permits, so that we couldn’t even have a campfire when we had mission groups here. One friend who works as a guide during the hunting season said that animal quality was down this year, as the dry conditions affected animal growth. We've only been here five years and can't claim expertise in understanding the regional weather, but we've learned that winter snowfall is really important, and it makes a difference throughout the remainder of the year. Indeed, Where is the snow?

Less than 12 hours later we were getting an answer to that question. By the time it stopped falling Friday afternoon we had 6 inches on the ground, and another 2 inches fell by Saturday morning. I have no idea how long it will last on the ground but when it starts to melt some will run into, and begin to fill, the many reservoirs and stock ponds on the reservation and in the area. Yesterday, today, and certainly tomorrow everywhere a person looks they will see evidence of the snow. For December 1st, it’s a good start.

This morning I read the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk. In 2:14 he writes:

"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

This is a statement that tells that one day the whole world will see the glory of God.  God's chosen people, who in Habakkuk's day are the people of Judah, as well as God's enemies, who as seen in this prophecy are the Chaldeans. The day is coming where there will be no place where the knowledge of the glory of God will not be clearly evident.

That's what the snowfall reminded me of this morning as I read Habakkuk. Believe in God or not, the day is coming when all will see and know his glory.  Here in our part of New Mexico we need snow. My personal preference would be that it falls in such a way as to leave the roads clear for driving and running, and the sidewalks clear so that I don’t have to shovel. But it doesn’t work out that way in real life. Right now, with the temperature a bit below freezing, it is everywhere.

Do you see evidence of the glory of God in the place where you live? While the knowledge of the glory of God is good, it isn't enough. What a person needs, what every person needs, is saving faith in God, as brought to the world in the person of Jesus. The gap between a holy God and a fallen sinner is infinite. It is a distance that we can only cross by being carried in the arms of Jesus. When we repent of our sin and trust in Jesus for salvation, he carries us over that gap. May you see and respond to the glory of God today, by embracing Jesus as your Savior. Amen

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.