Ice – amazing, isn’t it, how something so simple as frozen water can bring our lives to a screeching halt. And while we regret the impact of icy roads, slick sidewalks and treacherous steps, even in the nature of ice, we see God’s creative fingerprint.
For most of us, ice is so ordinary that we seldom pause to consider its uniqueness. Nearly all compounds become denser as they get colder. Water, however, is most dense at 39 degrees. At 32 degrees – the freezing temperature – water does the unexpected; it expands as it freezes making ice lighter, not heavier. “Big deal,” you say. Yes, it is a big deal – it’s actually a matter of life and death. If ice, like most compounds, were denser it would sink and cause lakes to freeze from the bottom up. Consequently, most lakes, with a few exceptions, would be solid ice by March killing all life in the process. But because ice is lighter it forms on top of the water and creates an insulating layer between the cold air above and the life below. So, when spring returns, there is life in the lakes and ponds because ice floats.
If God can sustain marine life through the harsh winter with something so simple as ice, imagine what he can do to sustain you in the harsh moments of life!
