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Verse:“Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall become as white as snow.” —Isaiah 1:18, NASB
Snow days are a thing of the past. The school my mom worked for declared all inclement weather days to be virtual learning days. A little piece of my heart died with that news. As a child, I would eagerly wait, with bated breath, after hearing the phone ring in the early morning. The excitement I felt at the possibility of a day off was close to unreasonable.
My parents’ house sits off the road in the woods.
On days when the snow was especially magnificent, I would suit up, grab my camera, and head out the door. The quiet whispers of birds or snow lightly falling off branches gave the silence enough life that it was not ominous or oppressive.
I crunched through the snow, heading into the forest.
Snow hung beautifully on pine branches and outlined deciduous trees. A cardinal flitted about, stark against the frosty landscape. The feeling I had was unlike anything else—ultimate tranquility. All imperfections lay hidden under pillowy mounds.
You would never know broken-down farm equipment was here, except for the long-unused chicken coop that was too big to be completely covered by Virginia snow. Scripture does not say whether there will be snow on the new earth, but I am certain the peace, contentment, and amazement will be present and magnified.
The excitement of a snow day does not even compare! Best of all, our sins will not be there. He [God] will again take pity on us; He will trample on our wrongdoings. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19, NASB).
As much as we want to try to fix what we have done, we stand out red, like the cardinal, against the pure holiness of God. When we give our lives to Jesus and open our hearts to Him, He does not just hide our sins; He takes them away.
Thanks to His love and sacrifice, we will be transformed as clean, fresh, and beautiful as freshly fallen snow. Dear Lord Jesus, whenever we see snow, may we remember Your promise of forgiveness and eternal life for those who love and serve You with their whole heart. Amen.*
Deidre A. Jones
* Adapted from Deidre A. Jones, “Snow Days,” Sabbath Thoughts (blog), Highland Seventh-day Adventist Church, accessed November 29, 2023, http://highlandcounty22.adventistchurchconnect.org/sabbath-thoughts-blog/snow-days.