A Wintry Blast

Psalm 147:12-20

I come from Chicago and I know about winters. People either love winter or hate it. You have those that don the winter togs and face the elements to build snowmen and make angels, ski, sled, or simply shovel the snow, loving every minute of it. Others book their cruises or head for their warm winter homes in Florida. There is certainly something awesome about a winter’s storm. Its power is undeniable as it topples huge trees, sends eighteen-wheelers into a spin, or knocks out power for miles around. Its beauty is also undeniable. An ice storm can cover trees and sidewalks making them shine and twinkle like a fairy’s garden. A blanket of snow covers all the muck and dirt that a city accumulates making everything pristine for a moment in time. A winter storm slows everything down. People stay hunkered in, traffic is non-existent, and street sounds are muffled. It’s as if everything is holding its breath. Being caught out in the wilds in a winter storm is fearsome.

The psalmist compares the commands of God to a winter storm. He speaks of the blanket of snow, the crystals of frost and the pellets of hail and then asks, “Who can withstand the icy blast?” This imagery seems out of place to me coming from a nomadic desert people. Yet it also seems very fitting. God’s commands are powerful, beautiful, dangerous to ignore. There is harshness to them. We read “DO NOT” and ask: “Who can stand in light of them?” As we read them we realize that the God who gave them is not to be toyed with. He is serious about his demands. Their beauty, power, and sternness overwhelm us. If we were to be left here with only this description, we would be chilly indeed. But, the psalmist reminds us that these commands are a gift and that people to whom they were given are the fortunate ones. At the time of the psalmist’s writing, the Israelites were the only people who were privileged to have them. He reminds us that God’s warm word melts the ice into usable moisture that waters their gardens and produces their crops. This warmth is often referred to as God’s compassion or loving kindness. God is not some harsh dictator who heaps impossible commands on people like a winter storm, expecting them to don their protective gear and brave the elements. These commands are melted with God’s loving kindness to produce the water of life. This water is what makes growth possible. Without these commands, weeds grow up to destroy the very roots of the ecosystem.

I have to ask myself how I feel about the commands and rules for living that I find throughout scripture. Do they feel like a harsh winter storm to me? I have to admit that sometimes they make me feel blanketed (smothered) or pelted. Sometimes they seem incredibly stringent. How can I ever be a “perfect” person? But as I remember the loving kindness of God, I remember that these are God’s prescription for a full and abundant life. They are not meant to punish but are given out of unceasing love. And, they are given with a built-in system of forgiveness. God, knowing that I am incapable of perfection, has given me a Savior who has paid for my infractions (sins). He has given me his Spirit to help me grow and develop. I am a work in progress and God is patient. I can only let the warmth of his love melt the cold of the commandments to become the water to carry nourishment to my soul. Spring is at hand.