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“Snow-My-God” of the South!”

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This was the title of the lead front-page article of the Huntsville Times last Saturday, January 8th.  I do not know exactly how those words in that order convey meaning, but I know a couple of things. First, the article was a warning of a snow of unusual proportions for North Alabama. Second, I knew that the sacred name of my God was being used in a flippant and blasphemous way in this headline. It was highly offensive to Christians in our area. (I somehow doubt that the writer could have gotten away with the use of the name Allah in any similar context. But it has become standard for me to hear the names of God and Christ used in vain many times during any given day in which I circulate among people….Maybe that’s another reason I love to stay at home.)

I said this was offensive to Christians. How do I know? Because a Christian, by definition, is a follower of Christ. One who truly follows Christ, honors God, as He did (John 8:49) and recognizes that God’s name is holy and reverend. The flippant use of His name has been a serious offense since, from Mount Sinai, he proclaimed “The Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain” (Exodus 20:7).

But if this news writer had only manipulated this headline a bit, he would have hit the nail on the head. “My God Snows on the South” would have been very apropos.

God thunders wondrously with his voice;
He does great things that we cannot comprehend.
For to the snow He says, Fall on the earth,
likewise to the downpour, His mighty downpour. (Job 37:5,6)

It is His snow from His storehouses:

Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
for the day of battle and war? (Job 38:22,23)

The breathtaking power demonstrated in the blanket of white to which we awoke last Monday morning is the very reason we reverence His name.

p.s.
Since the writing of this post, the editor of the Times has printed an apology for this headline. Thanks to all of those who wrote, called and emailed expressing your honor for the Lord’s name.

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