What are the treasures of snow and hail? There are many. By means of snow and hail, the Creator stores long-lasting supplies of water on mountains, as well as covering the ground at lower levels. In warm weather these high and low storehouses melt and seep into the soil or release a flow of clear water into rivers, lakes and reservoirs - a vital supply for the needs of every living thing. Coming fresh and pure from melted snow, this water is more valuable than can be told. This is one of the important treasures.
On its way to lower levels, this treasure of the snow turns into rivers and passes through powerhouses, turning huge electric generators. In other places the melted snow and hail turn waterwheels and millstones in flour mills and other kinds of machinery. More treasures for mankind.
Vast supplies of melted snow seep into underground reservoirs called aquifers, some of which are very deep and hundreds of miles long. The Creator has placed most of these aquifers under dry lands where quantities of water are pumped to the surface to nourish crops that otherwise could not grow. On a smaller scale, homes in every part of the world depend upon wells which have originated from the same source. The treasures are seen here too.
Glaciers are formed by millions of tons of snow and hail that over the years have changed into solid ice. Growing deeper and deeper, their very weight forces them down mountainsides, pushing along any ice in front of them. The 40mile-long Columbia glacier in Alaska came into existence this way.
As these glaciers move slowly along, they gouge out the soil and create wide valleys which later become forested or covered with grass and flowers, adding to the beauty of the area. From those glaciers that eventually reach the ocean, great pieces of ice drop off to form icebergs, providing a mixture of fresh and salt water in big bays. Many forms of sea life thrive in this blend of waters and are eaten by fish, seals, whales and porpoises, some of which become a source of food for humans.
The list of treasures keeps growing, and we could add many more.
In Job 37:56 we read: “Great things doeth He, which we cannot comprehend. For He saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain.” God’s bounty never stops at our mere needs, but He provides beyond our power to ask or think. There is not only the beauty of snowcapped peaks showing His handiwork, but in more ways than we have considered, hidden “treasures of the snow” provide benefits to us. We can truthfully say, “How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:3333O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33)).
ML-01/14/2001