White as snow
Posted on March 10, 2008
Filed Under Devotionals, Matt Clifton
by Matt Clifton
It has never been a big secret that I am not the best yard-keeper in the world. Landscaping 101 was never in my course work, although I do come from a long line of greats in the lawn care industry (a story I will spare you for another day). My grass is always a little too high, the hedges always resemble the heads of 4-year-olds boys too long without a trim, and I can never quite seem to keep the “shin busters†(known to most people as “toysâ€) out of the front yard.
Because of this weakness on my part, it is with great anticipation that I look forward to a really good snow in the winter. Our recent snow here in McCrory was near perfect, except for the fact, as kids would argue, that it did not stick around long enough to keep them out of school longer.
As the snow descended, all the imperfections of my yard began to evaporate. The scruffy clover that had sprung up early began to fade away. The wiry-haired tangle of hedges began to resemble enormous cotton balls, and the shin busters transformed into elegant snow sculptures. Everything looked clean and pure, and all my shortcomings as a lawn keeper disappeared.
Unfortunately, the next morning’s sun took a heavy toll on our blanket of snow, and before I knew it my rough and tumble lawn was revealed once again.
Watching all this, it occurred to me how thankful we should be that God’s covering of sin is not so temporary. When He cleanses, He cleanses completely! He likens the purity from sin He offers to the cleanness of snow.
In Isaiah 1:18, God says, “Come now, let us reason together. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.†God wants us to come to Him for salvation through his Son (John 14:6), and when He forgives on behalf of His Son, He forgives completely. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us†(Psa. 103:12).
When we believe in Jesus as the Son of the Living God (Matt. 16:16; John 3:16); repent of our lives of sin (Acts 17:30; Luke 13:3,5) confess Him as Savior publicly (Matt. 10:32-33; Rom. 10:9-10) and are buried and raised with Him in baptism (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3-8), we are cleansed from all those imperfections and shortcomings of sin in our lives.
Unlike snow, though, this cleansing is forever. And as long as we walk in the light and admit our sins to Him (1 John 1:7-10), His cleansing continues. Thank God for the cleansing He offers through the blood of Christ!
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