Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.   

Psalm 51:7

“Whiter than snow.” Is that even possible? Snow is amazing. I love winter because of the snow. The days when snow comes down in heavy, thick flakes are my favorite days…from inside a warm cozy house sitting in a sofa looking out a large bay window. Gorgeous! It falls from the sky, blanketing the ground, which is dingy and gray and covered with dead leaves and brown grass. It covers it all. It lights up a dark night when it reflects a full moon. It sparkles in the sun in the day and covers the grass with a perfectly smooth blanket. And to top it off, it’s pure white.

As a person made in God’s image, I am amazing. You are amazing. But we start out dirty and grimy and brown and ugly because of sin. There is nothing beautiful, or lovely, or gorgeous about us…until God does His work. Because of God’s great love for us and by His mercy and grace, He cleanses us and purifies us. As we come to Him with remorse for our sin and ask for His forgiveness, He washes us and makes us whiter than snow. How amazing is that?

How can we be whiter than snow? As the temperatures warm up, the snow begins to melt and the dirt and mud begin to show through again. The whiteness of snow disappears. But when God washes us, He forgives all of our sin—all of the dirty, ugly stuff that’s deep down in our hearts. He doesn’t just put a coating of white on us. He purifies to the very root of our being—down into our soul. That’s why we are whiter than snow. Snow doesn’t last long. Eventually it melts, and the beauty of it fades and disappears.

I am not washed by water or covered by snow. We are washed by the blood of the Lamb. Jesus has made us whiter than snow could ever be. He alone can make us truly beautiful so that those looking on can only wonder in amazement.

This last Sunday we talked about letting our light shine. If we are whiter than snow, we can’t help but shine!