“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18
I am writing this on January 2. We had a snowstorm overnight and the view from my window this morning is beautiful. This verse was going over and over in my mind. There is nothing more lovely to look at than a field of new snow that has not been disturbed. The Lord who created the snow, probably had this scene in mind when He inspired Isaiah to write the words in our text.
How wonderful that when we reach out to the Lord, repent of our sins, and ask Him to cleanse our hearts, He looks upon us as unblemished, like a field of unmarked snow. It is up to us to make sure that we keep it that way, pure and undefiled.
Before the day is over, the scene outside will change. There will be tracks of animals and perhaps children playing, that will disturb the white blanket. The wind may bring debris from other places that will take away the beauty that was there. On our streets, the pristine white snow will soon turn to dirty slush, as sand trucks and cars pass by.
The landscape cannot choose what comes to destroy the white blanket. But we have a choice as to whether our hearts stay white in God’s sight. The enemy of our soul would like to bring things into our lives that would defile and tarnish us.
I have heard this verse from childhood and often quote it to myself:
The future lies before you
Like a sheet of driven snow.
Be careful how you step in it,
For every step will show.
As we step out into this new year, we must make the choice to guard our hearts from everything that would hinder our walk with God. Our words, our actions, and our thoughts can not only bring defilement to our hearts, but they also can have an impact on those with whom we come in contact. Let’s determine in our hearts to remain white as snow.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the snow. And thank your that you have cleansed us from all sin. Help us to keep our hearts pure and undefiled before you and help us to have an impact for good to everyone we meet.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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