I have a confession to make-I love snow.
I know, I know, snow definitely has it's down side. For example, the many who were stuck in traffic countless hours on the commute home from work this week definitely have a strong case against snow!
It reminds me of a trip we had to take ten years ago in Minnesota. Debb's parents had flown in to visit us from San Diego. So, we had to make what is usually a three hour drive from Marshall, Minnesota to the big city, Minneapolis, to pick them up. The report on the news had said, "blowing snow." We had only just moved there, so we didn't think much of that forecast.
As we drove through town visibility was 100% and the roads were clear. However, the moment we got outside of town, it was white out conditions. It was as if someone flipped on a switch that unleashed a continual barrage of snow. Or, should I say, it was as if someone turned the light switch off. For, truly, we could not see more than ten feet in front of us. It was like a blizzard. Snow was blowing non-stop across the flat landscape. We were driving 30 miles an hour for most of that trip. Needless to say, it was a long, white-knuckle drive to the big city.
So, I can certainly say that there are times when snow is less appreciated. And, to be honest, as much as I loved the snow in Minnesota, I am not sure I would choose to live in a climate again where there is snow on the ground 5 months out of the year.
However, months on end with snow on the ground isn't an issue in the Pacific Northwest-snow usually only lasts a matter of days here. And unless I have a special trip planned, driving is not much of an issue for me. My commute to work is just a little over a mile and it is flat! (This is why I am able to be writing this article at the office on the morning after our huge snow event.)
The point is, on a personal level, I love snow. More than anything, I love the beauty of a freshly falling snow. I love to see big flakes gently floating down to the surface of the earth. I love to see everything covered in white. There is something magical about snow.
There is also something Biblical about snow. Snow is not a topic that shows up often in Scripture, but in a few places where we do find snow, it is used to paint a very powerful picture. I cannot help but think of Psalm 51. You may recall that this is the Psalm David wrote after getting caught in his adultery with Bathsheba.
Nathan, the prophet, came to David and exposed his sin for what it was. As a result, David writes Psalm 51:1-3, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me." And a few verses later David writes, "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:7). There are a few things David makes clear here. First, he acknowledges his sinfulness and need for cleansing. Second, he wholeheartedly believes in God's ability to cleanse him of his sin. He knows that if God washes him, he will be whiter than snow. God's cleansing is all he needs.
As believers, we learn a few important lessons from David here. First, we are reminded that sin is serious and needs to be dealt with. The fact that we live in a culture which questions whether or not sin even exists makes the seriousness of sin more difficult to grasp. But no matter what our culture says, sin is real. And, as David points out in this Psalm, sin is serious because all sin is ultimately against our Creator.
Secondly, David points to the fact that the heinous nature of sin is only matched by the unconquerable power of grace. God washes away sin utterly and completely. It isn't merely that God has washed away our sin, past tense. It is that God washes away our sin, present tense. When we turn to Him in genuine repentance, there is a genuine washing that takes place. We are not merely washed white as snow. We are washed whiter than snow.
The devil is referred to as the "accuser of the brethren" (Revelation 12:10) for good reason. He wants us to feel unforgiven and unworthy to come before our God. But the Word makes absolutely clear that Christ's sacrifice for sin is absolute. There is power in the blood. For this reason, there is no sin stain that is beyond the cleansing power of Christ's redemption.
As we enter this season with snow, may we remember why it is that the Christ-child was born on Christmas Day. May we be ever aware of the seriousness of sin, but equally aware of the power of Christ's sacrifice to cleanse us from it. As we read in Isaiah 1:18:
"Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."
In Christ, Pastor Dan