God Is Good
Winter has always been part of my life. When I say 'winter' I don't mean, "It's chilly outside. Let's grab a jacket." I mean long periods of everything covered with snow. As strange as it may seem to you, I love winter. But that's because I'm not battling to survive. Because I know that my hardship is temporary, it is much easier to endure. In fact, one of my favorite things is to come into my cabin after a long, hard day in the snowy cold and light a fire and open my Bible.
Chief Harry Johns, a wonderful brother in the Lord who preached for decades in the Athabascan language at his church and on the radio, told me that in the wintertime, before the Glenn highway existed, that they would walk from Copper Center to Palmer during the coldest part of winter (− 50°). To do this, they had to walk up the frozen Tazlina River and across the lake, over the pass and down onto the Matanuska glacier, and then walk the frozen Matanuska River to Palmer. Imagine doing that with women and children and needing to camp without tents and light fires along the way.
When I think of that kind of hardship, I recognize that my hardest days followed by a warm cabin would have been delightful to those people. Keeping a proper perspective helps us to endure hard things. 2 Timothy 2:3 says, "Endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." Whatever you are facing, simply remember this: life is hard, but God is good, and better days are coming! Be blessed! -Pastor Brad
Written on July 22, 2026
Posted in Daily Devotions