November 3, 2024

We are reaching a point in the year that I always looked forward to as a child. Soon water will start to freeze. Lakes, ponds, streams, and puddles will soon be covered with a surface of hard frozen water. As a child, I looked forward to the chance to take a run and slide or put on my skates and go to the local quarry. Something as simple as ice though can actually reveal part of God’s planning. 

Normally when a substance goes form a liquid to solid state it becomes denser, so frozen or hard steel is heavier than the same volume of liquid steel. The same is true of almost all substances. Water however is different, when it freezes it forms a crystal structure which causes it to expand and become less dense. This simple chemical property of water is actually essential for life on this planet. Were water to behave like other substances it would freeze from the bottom up killing everything living in a body of water. The polar ice caps would be on the bottom of the ocean raising sea levels. And of course hockey would only be played by scuba divers. 

The fact that water has the unique property of freezing into crystals means that ice floats and life as we know it can continue. Why would this be true? Could it be that God had a plan to make the earth habitable for man? Could it be that he wanted to allow for life to flourish on our planet? We know the answer to these questions is yes. The Bible tells us that God cares for us and wants to make sure we have what we need, but this truth can also be attested to by the wonderful designs he has included in our world.

The Psalmist tells us that Nature declares the Glory of God, and Paul writes that His divine attributes are evident in the things that are made. I would challenge you this week to take time and notice the Glory of God that is all around you.

And the next time someone asks you how you know God cares for you take them to the ice rink.

~ Kevin Cleary