When The Ice Melts
Tuesday, February 24
Job 38:26-27,30 (NKJV)
“To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one, A wilderness in which there is no man; To satisfy the desolate waste, And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass? The waters harden like stone, And the surface of the deep is frozen.”
Devotion
Pastor Franklin preached on the treasury of snow on Sunday. In Job chapter 38, God is questioning Job because everyone around him (including perhaps himself) seems to think they know all about God. In verse 4, 5, God asks, “Where were you when I hid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me if you have understanding ...” In other words, who can know the mind of God and understand His thoughts or reasoning?
God goes on to ask Job in verses 22 and 23, “Have you entered the treasury of snow ... which I have reserved for the time of trouble.” Let’s pause here for a minute—a treasury is something of value that is stored up, owned by someone, to be used or released at the discretion of that someone. Water is a treasure to people who live in hot, dry temperatures such as a desert wilderness, which was Israel at the time. Verse 30 goes on to describe this stored up treasure (water) that is preserved in the form of ice.
Today’s scripture reminds us that God’s hand is the one who dips into His treasury of snow and releases rain (in the form of melted ice) on the desolate waste land, and it is God who causes the grass to grow—not us. It is at His discretion on how He wants to answer our prayers (i.e., through the use of other people or specific circumstances) and when. Whether we see results right away or not, God is still in control. Just because we cannot see what is happening behind the scenes does not negate our prayers. Prayer requires faith—believing and trusting in our Sovereign Lord and what He has said in His Word, especially when we do not understand. We must trust in His personage as our Heavenly Father and His character, which is Love.
We are encouraged in Luke 18:1, “... that men ought always to pray and not faint.”
We are storing up for ourselves treasures in heaven and soon enough, the rivers will flow. And wherever the rivers go shall live.
Today's Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
I trust You, and I trust Your Word, for Your character proves that You are good and that Your mercy endures forever. You are not a man that You should lie, nor a son of man that You should change Your mind. What You have spoken is forever settled in heaven. So I thank You that even when I do not see or understand, I trust in Your loving devotion toward me. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Apply It Today
When you are standing in faith for someone or something, resist the temptation to fear or be anxious. We pray because we trust Him. So, when His peace seems to evade us, press even more into His presence through prayer and worship. Read His Word back to Him aloud. Believe that what He has said will come to pass because you believe in the One who said it. It is in times like these that we are to fight the good fight of faith.
Resources
- Watch “The Treasury of Snow” and be encouraged, your prayers are not empty words, but eternal investments. God stores every faithful prayer and uses them for His greater purposes.
Ice Before Rain - Frozen water:
Looks lifeless
Feels hard and unresponsive
Appears inactive
But:
It is preserved potential.
It melts at the right temperature.
It becomes life-giving flow.Application: Sometimes what looks “frozen” in your life is preserved promise.