Happy First Day Of Winter!

Today is the shortest day of the year - the official first day of winter. It definitely feels like it here, especially after a bitterly cold weekend. Hopefully you were able to stay in warm and dry, too.

It always amazes me to hear people talk about the weather as though snow in Iowa in December is a rare thing. When you live in the Midwest (and many other parts of the world), you should expect to be shoveling snow in the cold.

It's not a new concept.

The day is thine, the night is also thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter. Psalm 74:16-17

Going back to the very first chapter of Genesis, God has had a plan for the sun, the moon and the seasons earth would experience. Spring comes and the land is prepared for crops. Summer comes and the sunshine warms us. Autumn comes and it's time for harvest. Winter comes and everything hibernates before the process begins again.

Our God is the God of order, nature and time. As the Creator of light and dark, sun and moon, He gives us the snow just as He gives us the hot days of summer. Our unchanging God keeps the cycles of every galaxy in perfect working order according to His will.

And yet that same all-powerful God knows my name and your name. He knows the number of hairs on your head, has kept all your tears in His bottle and has felt every joy and pain you've ever experienced. The God who created the seasons knew the earth needed you, and He placed you here for a time such as this.

Whether you have to go out in the winter weather or you can watch it through the window while drinking a hot cup of coffee, rejoice and be glad in the day God has made.

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