Monday, February 25, 2013

By: Gwen Hitt

White as Snow

Isaiah 1:18   ".....Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow....."

Today's scripture provides a beautiful picture of God's love for us. He tells us that if we confess our sins, He will wash them as WHITE as freshly fallen snow. He is willing and ready to completely clean our slates--to totally forgive us of ALL of our sins!

As a lifelong resident of South Louisiana, I have rarely experienced the beauty of snow. In fact, I can remember waking my children up at night or early in the morning to see even a few snow flurries in the rare occasion that it snowed. Our Cajun snowmen were probably some of the smallest and short-lived in the world!

My son, who is an officer in the Navy, has had the opportunity to live in many wonderful places. When he and his wife lived in New York, my husband and I were able to REALLY experience snow. We were so excited to peer out of the window as the snow formed a beautiful white blanket outside. However, by the next afternoon, the lovely scene had changed significantly. The white blanket was now a slushy brown MESS!

Sadly, many individuals experience a similar situation. They go to God in true repentance and receive COMPLETE forgiveness. Their sins are washed as white as snow, and they initially walk away feeling cleansed. However, since they can't forgive themselves and truly accept God's grace, their blankets of whiteness become dark and slushy from constantly dwelling on whether God has truly forgiven them.

My challenge to you today is to realize that God desires for you to live a life free from the guilt of the past. Romans 8:1 says that there is "no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." One of Webster's definitions of condemnation is "blame." You may find yourself in a place today where you are blaming yourself or others for how various situations in life have turned out. However, issuing blame for things that you cannot "undo" will keep you from acquiring what God has in store for your future.

Dear Lord, Help me to truly accept Your forgiveness in order to let go of any guilt that I may be holding on to. I want to move forward in my relationship with You and to receive ALL that You have for me. I thank You that You have made ME white as SNOW! Help me to extend that same forgiveness to others.

I thank You Jesus for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life. In the Name of Jesus I pray, Amen.