Rejoicing in the Breath of His Mouth

Job 37:1-13

 ¹ “At this my heart pounds 

   and leaps from its place. 

² Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, 

   to the rumbling that comes from his mouth. 

³ He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven 

   and sends it to the ends of the earth. 

⁴ After that comes the sound of his roar; 

   he thunders with his majestic voice. 

When his voice resounds, 

   he holds nothing back. 

⁵ God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; 

   he does great things beyond our understanding. 

⁶ He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ 

   and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ 

⁷ So that everyone he has made may know his work, 

   he stops all people from their labor.

⁸ The animals take cover; 

   they remain in their dens. 

⁹ The tempest comes out from its chamber, 

   the cold from the driving winds. 

¹⁰ The breath of God produces ice, 

   and the broad waters become frozen. 

¹¹ He loads the clouds with moisture; 

   he scatters his lightning through them. 

¹² At his direction they swirl around 

   over the face of the whole earth 

   to do whatever he commands them. 

¹³ He brings the clouds to punish people, 

   or to water his earth and show his love.

I stumbled across this section of scripture on our flight back across the Atlantic.  It was funny,because I had just written a journal entry about our snow day with the kids--we played for several hours on a frozen lake.  Here's the journal entry & my memories from that day. 

'Last night I remembered the purity of joy that was spent on a frozen lake.  Snowballs, trees covered in snow, sliding on the ice, everyone laughing, chasing, and clumping together bits of white promise.  There were shared mittens, sneak-attack snowballs, shrieks of joy and surprise at the shock of a face full of snow.  All these were parts of you-glimpses of your love for all of us inside the joy that your creation caused us.  We were all just children again-everyone.  From 35 to 5-just children. Removed from the burdens of daily life, hurt, confusion, responsibilities & relational obligations.  We were just children before you, praising you for your gift of fresh newness.'

I was in awe of Him, remembering again that it was His breath that created the white stuff that we played so joyfully in. It was Him who gave us the gift of that beautiful day with the kids.  What an awesome God we serve; He blesses us in so many simple, but powerful ways.  And I think I learned something from this day on the lake: it was the rejoicing, the joyfulness, enjoying the magic of it all that was, in itself, a form of worship & thankfulness.  Fully enjoying something that He made to be enjoyed. 

Here's a super short video clip of our day on a frozen lake-it was amazing to me that so much joy could come from such simple things.  

The kids didn't at all go easy on us...this picture was taken after I had wiped the snow off of my face---I got hit pretty good several times out there--such fun!!