Messages of Snow
6. Some Things Are Temporary
I've found a Friend, O such a Friend!
So kind and true and tender,
So wise a Counselor and Guide,
So mighty a Defender!
From Him who loves me now so well
What power my soul can sever?
Shall life or death, shall earth or hell?
No! I am His forever.
James G. Small, 1863
Reading: Job 6:14-23
“In time of heat they disappear . . .”
Snow eventually melts. It never lasts forever. At first, it produces torrents of water rushing down narrow stream beds. As time passes the streams recede, and may even become dry.
Human relationships, as Job learned, may also be like melting snow. At first, they are full of life, active, and promising. But as the stress and heat of life come, the friendships wither and die.
Material possessions do not last. They can be broken, burned by fire, stolen, or rust into nothing. Dependence on them is like counting on snow to remain through the summer heat.
Worldly success is also fleeting. One mistake, one error of judgment, one failure to produce may cause the loss of employment or reputation. We cannot depend on our position in the dark times of life.
Our relationship with God is the only enduring fact of life. No matter what problems or questions we have, God stands ready to support, comfort, and encourage us. Snow melts away. God never does.