Snow-White
Category : Lent Devotions
Isaiah 1:10-20
10 Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
12 “When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause.
18 “Come now, 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 become like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be eaten by the sword;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
As I looked out the window at the snow-covered ground, I marvelled at its beauty. As the sun came out, the brilliance of the glistening world was only amplified in its rays. But it also occurred to me how quickly the once white ground would turn into brown, disgusting slush and make it such an unpleasant sight.
God says in Isaiah 1:18, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow”. This is what Jesus did on the cross for us. By His death, He cleansed us of all our wickedness and everything unpleasant in our lives to make us shine like the brilliance of fresh snow. But sin can so quickly taint us and turn our souls into ugly brown slush. The more we give ourselves to the ways of the world and our own sinful desires, the more wretched we become.
But God calls us to open our eyes to the truth about sin. He desires that we turn from sin and walk in repentance. No matter how far we may have strayed from God, the Father stands to welcome us with open arms, just like He did with the lost son, knowing that our greatest joy and happiness can only be found in Him. During this time of lent, may we recall to mind how we may have grieved God with our sin and see how the cross has redeemed us from this sin and given us a new life in Christ. God saved us from the miry clay as it says in Psalm 40:2 and let us not seek to go back to that but instead to abide in Christ. As we do that, we will get to see ourselves shining brightly and reflecting the glory of Son.
Father help me turn from sin and lead a life of repentance before you. May I not take the cross for granted but remember the price that was paid for me. Remind me that I belong to You and not to the world, and that with You are pleasures forevermore. Amen.