Gifts from One Who is faithful

Let's look at two verses today, shall we? You can get a clue from the lil fella up there . . .

He gives the snow like wool    and scatters the frost like ashes. (Psalm 147:16)

As the rain and the snow    come down from heaven,and do not return to it    without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)

The first verse up there conjures up images of sheep shearing time in the ancient world (or in today's world, too). Shearing hasn't changed much in the interim, it's still a process of coaxing a relaxed sheep to turn one way or another while a sharp tool separates most of the wool from the sheep. Usually about a quarter to half inch is left behind to protect the animal, and the fleece is often taken off in one piece, according to the skill of the shearer. Fleeces can weigh in at over twenty pounds, due to the natural lanolin in the wool -- God designed it so the sheep could repel water!
Back to our shearing . . . the fleeces sometimes pile up beside the shearer, as they work swiftly to get as many sheep sheared as possible before the setting of the sun. The wool is not as white as when it's been cleaned, but with the fibers flying through the air and the fleeces piled up, it's as if it were snowing in the shearing shed! I think perhaps the psalmist was referring to this when he said God gives the snow like wool . . .

Isaiah spoke in our next passage about the gifts of rain and snow from the Father. We may complain about the weather (and the forecasters' accuracy or lack of accuracy) but the rain and snow do accomplish important things. I have kinfolk who live on one of the high plateaus in Wyoming, and in that area and others, it's the rainfall and the snow pack that can sustain life. The area is basically arid much of the year, so the volume of rain and snow that God sends each year is not just a topic of conversation -  it's vital to the survival of wildlife, crops grown in the area, and the drinking water supply, too. Residents there hope and pray for a generous snow pack, so that as it melts the reservoirs will fill. Subsequent releases from the reservoirs will feed into the lakes and streams, and enable farmers to irrigate their fields; just as Isaiah said, the water will cause things to bud and flourish, yielding seed for the sower and bread for the hungry. Too warm a spring will cause a fast melt to the snow, with reservoirs inundated and a possible long, dry summer.

God designed all of this to work together; His gifts are many, and they come from His faithful heart. That fact -- His faithfulness -- can sustain us when other props are gone. It doesn't matter what else is going on in our lives; we can be facing stress, health problems, financial difficulties, marriage issues, children who make our hearts ache, the loss of someone we love, or any other pain, and God's love and faithfulness to us will never, ever end. Every day, He has a fresh supply of mercy for us. Everyone needs someone like that in our lives -- someone who will support us, stand by us, and stand their ground to defend us. Do we have someone loyal, trustworthy, constant, and reliable? Even if we have no one that we can point to here on earth, that is the kind of Friend that we have in Jesus Christ.

As believers, we have been adopted by a Father Who will never change His mind in regard to us; He will never write us off; He will never leave us or forsake us. He is the Friend Who sticks closer than a brother. He is faithful.
Remember when Moses was overwhelmed? Intimidated? He needed to be reassured about the massive assignment that he'd been given. He asked God of His credentials. He wanted to know His name. So God answered him with the name that is used by God for covenants: Yahweh, or "I AM." (Exodus 3:14) Think about what that name means.....God took the present tense of the verb "to be" and used it for His name. It totally expresses that God is eternal, but it also says that in His nature, His knowledge, His will, and His purposes, He always remains the same. God never changes.

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. (Deuteronomy 7:9)

He never changes. No one can oppose him    or stop him from doing what he wants to do. (Job 23:13)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

Yes, God is faithful. And He designs and gives gifts to His children. We'll talk more about this tomorrow.