Whiter Than Snow

 

 

Whiter Than Snow

(I originally wrote this in 2018 when we were still living in Idaho.  I took the above photo north of McCall in 2015.)

The words of Psalm 51 reflect my own heart.  I feel like to add my own words are not necessary if one reads this Psalm (listed at the end), but I doubt God put this theme in my head this morning just to copy and paste David's psalm!  

When you read the first few verses, you will note that we must first acknowledge our sin.  True repentance does not come if we insist we have done nothing wrong or are just going through the motions of asking God to cleanse us.  Admitting you need to be clean is an obvious first step.  As I have stated many times, grace may be a free gift, but we must still confess our sins and ask for forgiveness and actively choose to accept it. Nor do we abuse God's grace by refusing to change our sinful habits. 

(Romans 6:1-2 ) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

(1 John 1:8-9) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Jesus, yes, is “just to forgive,” but we must first "confess our sins" and He expects us to do our very best to stay clean!  In John 8:1-11, a woman caught committing adultery is brought before the Lord.  I am sure you are familiar with this story.  Jesus sends her accusers away (some believe it was the accusers' sins He was writing in the sand).  But my focus is not on her confronters, but on the woman.  What does Jesus say to her?  Does He say, “I forgave you once, so go your merry way and do as you please from this day forward?”  Of course not!  Jesus tells her what He tells all of us after we have been forgiven, “Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11) Although I prefer to use the KJV Bible, the NIV translation of this verse is a good one, for it is worded as, "Go now and leave your life of sin."

In the below verses, the people are told to get rid of their evil ways so they can be cleansed as snow.  What I have always liked is the Lord saying, "Come now, and let us reason together.”  I picture a loving, heavenly Father, no, not allowing us to justify our sins and attempt to explain why we sinned but rather listening as we plea for forgiveness.  He then embraces us, wipes our tears of contrite repentance, encourages us to continue striving to enter in at the narrow gate, and reassures us that we are loved. 

(Luke 13:24) Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.)  

His love, combined with our actions, makes us feel clean, white, and new.      

(Isaiah 1:16-18) "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together," Says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” 

What happens to snow on a day-to-day basis?  It gets dirty.  It looked so pristine that morning, but as the cars drove by, or the dog (excuse me for saying so) uses it, it turns brown and yellow.  Yet, behold, at the next snow fall, the beauty has been restored, all sparkly and white.  Pretty obvious symbolism here, isn’t it?  When we pray as David did, to be purged and to have a new, clean heart, let us make that a daily prayer.  

(Luke 9:23) Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross DAILY, and follow Me.  

Again, 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." But note the first 5 words. We need to be proactive on our part and ask for forgiveness. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." Therefore, you know He is gracious enough to forgive us every single time we ask.

Short message today but living a clean life does not have to be overly complicated.  Admit to your sin, confess your sins, ask for forgiveness, cast away the old nature, and make a daily decision not to repeat old sins or commit new ones (no one is perfect, but this is a good goal to do our best to live righteously).  You cannot conquer sin on your own, but when you ask the Holy Spirit to help you, He will always answer.

We should evaluate our lives daily and strive to be the best person we can be every day.  If you want a new routine to help you be a better Christian, I suggest reading Psalm 51 and making this your theme.

(Psalm 51:1-4; 6-13; 16-17) Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. 

Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight-- That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. 

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.   For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart-- These, O God, You will not despise. 

Faith Like a Child (Short Story)

 Faith Like a Child

It was going to be a long winter.  Today was December 15th, and not technically winter, but as long as there was snow on the ground, Amelia considered it as so. 

She pulled the sixteen-year-old Honda Accord onto the street in front of the small ranch-style house.  It was one of those homes where no one could agree on the color.  Some called it peach, others orange, and the wise said peachy- orange.  Amelia just called it ugly.  The two bedroom, one bath rental was not decorated in the colors she would have chosen, but, then again, she did not exactly know the first thing about decorating.  These days it was mostly multicolored braided throw rugs, second hand mismatched furniture, and a smattering of children's toys scattered everywhere but in the children's room.

As she exited the vehicle and headed for the front door, fluffy snowflakes quickly covered her bare head.  It was not the first time she had wished for a garage.  She stopped for a moment before entering the house.  The lone sugar maple tree in the front yard was never more beautiful than when its leaves were transitioning from green to crimson, but there was something breathtaking about the way the snow hung off the empty branches, glistening in the moonlight as if it had been lit with a thousand miniature lights.

She tried not to sigh as she opened the door.  She loved her husband and two children more than her own life, but the tension she felt coming home these past three weeks was so strong, the tidal wave of negative energy nearly barreled her over the moment her feet hit the front entrance.  Ryan, her husband of seven years, had unexpectedly lost his job the Monday before Thanksgiving.  Securo, the security guard company Ryan worked for unsympathetically told him his post no longer existed.  Securo met the security needs for most of the businesses in their small town of 3,065 people.  Ryan had covered posts anywhere from the landfill to a car lot.  His current assignment at Smith High School had been his favorite.  However, the local police department finally had it in its budget to place one of their own officers on duty at the school, and Securo's services were no longer required.  Ryan had literally begged for any other post.  He had put nine years into the company, but suddenly it was if he had only been there a day.  He was dismissed with the promise of a good job reference if he needed one, and escorted out by a fellow, or make that former, co-worker.

Smith was a small tourist town with lakes full of Rainbow Trout and campgrounds packed from May until September.  By October 1st, most of the campers went back to the city, all the jobs dried up, and work was scarce. 

Amelia had never wanted to be anything more than a wife and stay-a-home mom, but until Ryan could find another job, she would readily leaver her comfort zone to help her family.  She had somehow managed to get one of the last available jobs in town as a janitor/cook at the local women's shelter; a job Ryan could not apply to for obvious reasons.  Since Amelia had become the breadwinner and Ryan the stay-at-home dad, their world seemed topsy-turvey and not quite right. 

The problems at home had nothing to do with Ryan's capabilities. Ryan was not only the best husband she could ask for, but also a terrific hands-on father.  Five-year-old Colt and three-year-old Sophia adored their father and, overall, were quite content Ryan had become their main caretaker.  Because Amelia loved and respected her husband beyond words, she never criticized when the children's clothes clashed, he only cooked food made in the microwave, or forgot to wash her work uniform.  None of that mattered when she considered how blessed she was to have such a loving, gracious husband.

The tension she felt now was all about money.  Her salary was $400 less a month than Ryan had been bringing home.  They had applied for heating assistance for the winter.  However, they were evaluated based on the average of the family's income for the past three months, so they did not qualify.  Each time she walked into the home to feel the thermostat set to a chilly sixty-five degrees in order to save money, it added to her frustrations.  They took less showers, used more paper plates, and even did less laundry just to cut down on the water bill.  What was next, making the ultra-girlie Sophia wear her brother's football and fire truck hand-me-downs because they could not afford new clothes?  The little curly haired brunette loved her girlie kitty cat and teddy bear clothing; it would be a shame to force her to wear dinosaurs and robots every day.

Sometimes Amelia wondered what God had against them.  She and Ryan had strived to live holy lives and raised their children to both fear and love the Lord.  They were obedient in their faith and walked in the ways Jesus taught.  Had they missed a step?  Was God angry with them about something?  Or was life just being life?  They were not exempt from the trials of this world, and they did not expect to be.  She tried very hard to hold onto her faith that God was still in control, but some days she wondered if God had more of  hands-off approach to teach His children the harder lessons that would make them stronger in the long-run.

She was never home for more than a minute before her presence was known and she was surrounded by hugs, kisses, and affectionate words welcoming her home.  Her cares were swept away in the warmth of her family, and she stayed in Ryan's arms a little longer than usual before leaving his comfort to enjoy the dinner he had put together.

As she sat down to the little round table painted a cheerful daffodil, she was overflowing with love for her family.  She complimented her husband on the creative dinner of canned chili mixed with cut-up microwavable corndogs.  She could not wait to try his unique concoction.  She would not even complain that there were no vegetables today.

The family took turns praying over their meals, and today was Colt's turn.
The little blonde-hair, blue-eyed boy was not as shy as his sister and loved  to pray aloud.

"Dear gracious Heavenly Father," he began as seriously as any minister.  He then ran all his words together into one long sentence, "Thank you for mommy and daddy and for daddy reading 'Little Bear' to us today, and thank you that mommy gets to still cook and clean even though it's for other people, and please help daddy to get a new job even if we wish he could stay home too, and thank you for loving us and taking care of us, we love you too.  In Jesus' name, amen."

Colt's childish prayer was so simple and yet so profound.  In Amelia's own prayers, she often failed to follow through by acknowledging that God was always taking care of them in spite of how things appeared on the surface.  In her frustrations and fear she rarely remembered God loved them or declared her own love.  She complained more than she praised.

If only I could have faith like my children, Amelia silently mused.

Half way into their meal, the cell phone in Ryan's pocket buzzed.  There was usually a no-phones rule at the dinner table, but as long as Ryan had active applications and resumes floating out there,  the rule had temporarily been placed on hold.

"Hello...  Yes, this is Ryan...  Yes...,"  there was a long pause as he listened to the person on the other end with an occasional, "Uh-huh" and finally ended with,  "Yes...  Thank you, I will...  God bless you too."

Ryan disconnected the call with a wide grin.

"Well, buddy, God just answered your prayer," Ryan revealed to his son, then addressed the rest of the family, "That was the Smith Airport.  Their security guard of twenty-five years has decided to retire by Jan. 1st.  They wanted to know if I would be interested in the position starting Monday.  It pays $3.50 more an hour than my old job and offers full benefits for the entire family."

Amelia jumped from the table around to her husband's chair and gave him an excited hug. 

"But wait, honey, I don't remember you applying for that job," Amelia realized.

"That's just it; I didn't.  Jim, my old boss at Securo just happens to be the brother of the owner of the small airport.  That was his brother on the phone.  He asked Jim if he could recommend anyone for the position.  They  prefer to hire people as employees of the airport, rather than contracting with private companies," Ryan explained, "Jim recommend me."

"Wow!  That is amazing!"

"Can I pray again, mommy?" Colt asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement. 

"Of course," she answered, returning back to her chair.

They all bowed their heads again.

"Thank you, God, for answering our prayers and giving daddy a job, 'specially since he really wanted to be a guard again.  You know what's best.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Yes, Jesus, You do know what's best, Amelia silently agreed. 

She knew there would always be times in her life where her faith either faltered or grew.  But as long as she lived, she would never forget the day the faith of her child brought tears to her eyes and a new song in her heart!

(Matthew 18:1-4) At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?  And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, "Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven."  

Julie's Christmas Carol

 

Julie's Christmas Carol (2010) 

Have yourself a merry little Christmas, 

Even if you heart is broken; 

When grief has pierced your soul

With pain so deep it can't be spoken

Remember the little town of Bethlehem, 

And the stable that held pure light; 

The Christ child that came to heal our wounds

Even on the darkest night

Away in a manger

Is not just about a baby in the hay, 

Jesus is alive forever, 

And washes sin and sorrow away

Do you see what I see?

When all seems lost and day is night, 

It is yours to discover...

Miracles still happen when you seek His Light

(Isaiah 9:6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.