Winter storm Harlow provided the perfect packing snow for an epic snowball fight on the campus of Virginia Tech. The Weather Channel featured the viral snowball fight video. Hundreds of students, civilian versus the Corp of cadets, battled it out. “Mass organized chaos” is how the Meteorologist, Jan Carfagno described the scene with snowballs flying everywhere.
The snowball fight in this video depicts the problems pelting me on every side and the burdens I am bringing with me everywhere expect where they belong—at the foot of Jesus.
From my kitchen window, I stare mesmerized by the heavy snow. I am still in my soft pajamas, warm wool socks on my feet, wrapped in a fuzzy blanket, and a hot mug of caramel liquid mercy (aka coffee) in hand. The words I penned in my journal and on a notecard come to mind:
“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.” (Psalm 62:1)
“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.” (Psalm 62:5)
My anxious heart quiets. And like my frozen shoulder (in which I am getting therapy) I too am thawing out. My soul is warming up as I remember to relax and rest in God’s mighty embrace. Rest in His sovereign timing.
I like Eugene Peterson’s Message version of Psalm 116:7-8:
“I said to myself, ‘Relax and rest. God has showered you with blessings. Soul, you’ve been rescued from death; Eye, you’ve been rescued from tears; And you, Foot, were kept from stumbling.’”
Three different enemy armies surrounded King Jehoshaphat on every side. “Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah (2 Chronicles 20:3). Surrounded by problems on every side, Jehoshaphat prayed:
“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” (2 Chronicles 20:12)
Because of King Jehoshaphat’s honest prayer, God answered, “And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side” (2 Chronicles 20:30).
Problems and overwhelming situations may tempt us to doubt God. But as believers in Christ, we can take comfort in remembering no problem is beyond God’s sovereign care and compassion for His children. God loves us beyond measure (Romans 8:37-39), and He promises to take care of us (Philippians 4:19) and He has good plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11).
Unlike the Virginia Tech snowball fight that was between the Corp of cadets and the civilians, the battles we face may appear to be between us and others, but our battles are between others and the Lord. We have the same promise God gave Moses to share with the Israelites. God offers to fight our battles for us. In Exodus 14:14, Moses tells the children of Israel, “The LORD will fight for you; you only need to be still.”
The sovereignty of God does not mean that as Christians we get to avoid battles, but it means God is in control. When battles come, may we remember the simple prayer of King Jehoshaphat: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (2 Chronicles 20:12). May we also remember the words King David penned in Psalms: “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him…my hope comes from Him” (Psalm 62:1,5).
We can be confident in this, God, who fights our battles will bring us safely home.
© April Dawn White 2025
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