Fire and Snow

             As I thought about it, I realized the contrast between the danger of fire posed by the beautiful fireworks, and the safety and purity of the “whiter than snow” protection the Lord Jesus gives to our lives. The world is full of things which appear on the surface to be beautiful, but in reality, pose a serious threat to our lives and well-being. The dangers of sin are often attractive. We are tempted to dabble in things, but if we get too close, they will burn and stain. Satan is referred to as beautiful and appealing to men, but his way is the way of death and destruction.

              When David wrote Psalm 51, he was suffering the conviction of his sin with Bathsheba. His lust led to adultery, murder, and the death of the child they conceived—a crimson stain he could not remove by himself. As he confesses his sin to God, he says, “wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”

              Isaiah’s prophecy carries the same message. Sin is not something which can hide forever. Once found out, it shows scarlet and crimson, staining our lives in ways we are powerless to escape, much like the brand on Hester Prynne’s cheek in Nathanial Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Our only hope of cleansing is to confess our sin and commit our lives to the Lord who promises to cleanse us from the stain of sin, leaving us “white as snow.”

                What hidden sin stains your life today? What do you fear will be found out and destroy you?

                 Just as the snow provided protection from the danger of fireworks in a dry, parched land, Jesus promises to remove the stain of our sin with the washing of His own pure blood shed on the Cross when we are powerless to save ourselves.

                 Begin your new year with confession, accept His cleansing, and face the future with security for all eternity.