As White As—Eew!

By Robin J. Steinweg –

Here in Wisconsin, the snow comes in fat, determined flakes. When it’s covered our world, the sun shines on it, and its brightness dazzles away even the memory of bare trees, brown, patchy lawns and spent rose bushes. Everything glistens with purity.

By afternoon the plows come through and it is business as usual. The traffic sprays salt, sand and grime that spreads somehow even to the far sides of the cornfield. If there’s no more snow overnight, the next day it starts to look gray, pocked, and—eew—disgusting.

That’s like we who follow Jesus. When we first experience His forgiveness, He washes us as white as snow. His blood, most powerful cleanser, removes our sin as far as the east is from the west.  We glisten with purity.  But over the course of a day, sin splatters our souls with grime and dirt. If there’s not a spiritual cleansing, it’ll get worse.

How can we remove that sin stain? We can only apply the cleanser: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. …and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:8, 9, 7b).

I don’t remember who it was that gave me this advice, but it stuck like wet snow on a sign: “Keep short accounts in spiritual as in other things.” If someone loans me something or blesses me with a good turn, I should pay it back quickly. If I sin, I do well to confess it right away.  I shouldn’t go to bed with a debt of money, deed or sin on my conscience.

PRAYER: My Lord, show me every sin splatter so I can confess it to You. Thank You for making me as clean as fresh-fallen snow, no matter how deep the stain of my sins.

“Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered” (Romans 4:7 NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Robin J. Steinweg. Robin’s life might be described using the game Twister: the colored dots are all occupied, limbs intertwine (hopefully not to the point of tangling), and you never know which dot the arrow will point to next, but it sure is fun getting there!