As White As Snow

It’s been a blessing to spend a few precious days with our first grandchild while my son, daughter-in-law, and husband ski in Whistler, BC. It’s early in the ski season, so only 14 out of 240 runs are open. And those are spotty. Yesterday as they headed out to the Whistler and Blackcomb mountains they hoped for fresh snow. Turns out that early in the day it was more icy than powdery, and it made for less controlled, less enjoyable runs. 

Scripture speaks of being as ‘white as snow.’ (Isaiah 1:18) Our sins (things that separate us from God) harden our hearts like the icy slopes my family struggled to navigate. Sin can also cause our hearts and lives to be barren like all those runs not yet open. But God promises that ‘if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ (I John 1:9)

Because of the saving work of Jesus, God’s own Son, who died on a cross to pay the price for all sin, we can have that forgiveness. God’s forgiveness cleanses and covers us just as that fresh powder so beautifully covers the often-drab landscape, causing it to shimmer and sparkle. His forgiveness frees us to live and move abundantly, as a skier confidently navigating a powdery run. As we walk in the forgiveness that Jesus earned for us and offers us through repentance, we shimmer and sparkle to those around us. This season, if snow blankets the world around you, remember the forgiveness God offers you through Jesus and let Him wash you ‘as white as snow!’