Preparing for Winter: Part 1

From: Messages of God's Love: 1993

• 3 min. read • grade level: 8

“For He [God] saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth. . . . Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.” Job 37:6-8⁶For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength. ⁷He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work. ⁸Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places. (Job 37:6‑8).

Many of God’s creatures live in areas with cold winters. He has provided them with special ways to survive. Some migrate to warmer areas, but an amazing number live year-round in the areas which the Creator has provided for them. It is, of course, His provision for their special needs in the freezing temperatures that enables them to survive through winter months. These creatures include a great variety of birds, animals, insects, fish, seals, whales, dolphins and others.

Often a rocky cave in a hillside, soon to be buried in deep snow, is used by bears year after year, and other creatures know well enough not to try to occupy it. In fact, in many areas all bears go into hibernation on the same day, with their spots selected well in advance.

How do they know to prepare for winter? It is all through God-given instincts, including not only preparing a place beforehand, but of even more importance, by eating extra amounts of food in the fall. The increase in weight is mostly fat and helps to keep them warm as well as nourishing them while hibernating (sleeping all winter until spring weather permits venturing outside again).

Surprisingly, it is during hibernation in the darkness of a cave that a mother bear usually gives birth to two little cubs. In spite of the darkness, they promptly find a ready milk supply from their sleepy mother who goes right back to sleep after she nurses them. Actually these cubs are no bigger than small kittens. It is one of the marvels of God’s creation that they can survive in the darkness and know just where to feed when they are hungry and then cuddle up to their mother’s warm body until the next feeding time.

Deer, elk and caribou, even in extremely cold places, do not hibernate. In the fall months they build themselves up with heavy eating, which not only provides fat for warmth but also causes their specially insulated hair to grow thick to provide a heavy overcoat for cold weather. They search daily, even in snowstorms, for grass, leaves and other vegetation. They have to paw through the snow with their sharp, strong hoofs to uncover much of what they eat.

These are typical examples of the Creator’s care, as the Bible verse tells us: “O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.” Psalm 36:6,7⁶Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. ⁷How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. (Psalm 36:6‑7).

Have you thanked Him for His loving-kindness to you and put your trust in Him? Always remember that “it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” Psalm 118:8⁸It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. (Psalm 118:8).

(to be continued)

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16¹⁶Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

ML-11/14/1993

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