“She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.” – Proverbs 31:21
Winter Leaves and Fearless Living
Some regions of our country are not strangers to snow.
For others, it is a rarity that catches people off-guard.
For something made of water and cold and seemingly benign, snow can do a great deal of damage. Snow and ice can crack asphalt, break the resistance of mighty trees, cave in houses, bury entire villages, strand motorists, create avalanches which release irresistible force, and bury people alive until they are dead. People have also died of exposure in the snow or from hunger due to the inability to move about and find food.
Ask the Donner Party.
Snow, like trouble, gains strength in accumulation.
In places where snow is a rarity, there is very little preparation for the buildup of white powder that can. Roads become impassable and economies grind to a halt. There is a failure to be ready.
The dear wife and mother described in Proverbs 31 was prepared for Winter. Snow did not catch her by surprise. Whatever it took to be ready was what she did. She was prepared before the troubles accumulated. Therefore, she faced hard times without fear because she already anticipated them.
At some point in our lives, it will snow on the leaves of our circumstances. In other words, we will have trouble. Something will sneak up behind us and try to jar us from our confident tranquility. If possible, the blizzards of life will knock us down or freeze us in our steps, but it does not have to be that way.
The secret of building a wall of protection is to recognize that trouble may come and being spiritually equipped to face it. Mature faith does not live in the clouds, but is rooted in the ground of humanity where God lives and walks among us.
Mature faith knows that sudden storms may come, but that God’s resources are sufficient for every trial. In mature faith, we get as ready as we can for trouble and live in peace, believing in the Lord’s care and doing our part to appropriate it daily.
These words were written as church bulletin devotional for churches who offer Master Sunday Bulletins to their congregations. May it serve as a source of encouragement to you today. You are welcome to copy this devotion for one-time non-commercial, local church, or educational use. Please include the copyright line printed below with any reproduction. © Master Sunday Bulletins 2012. All rights reserved. Published by Master Sunday Bulletins · Merri V. Dennis, Publisher · Thomas B. Sims, Author