A Winter’s Day

A Winter’s Day

It’s one of the most beautiful sights a person can see. In the midst of the darkness and cold of winter, we wake up after a nighttime snowfall and behold, everything is white! The dirty brown soil is a pure, clean white. The empty, lifeless branches glisten and shimmer in the morning sunshine. The evergreens are laden with layers of cool, soft snow. Even the roads are still white and clean… And if you go out for a walk, all the sounds that assault our senses are muffled and silenced by the snow.

In so many ways, we live in a desolate world. Broken with sin, polluted with rebellious thoughts, laden with guilt and sin, and surrounded by profane noise that drowns out grace. And yet, in the midst of all of this, God breaks in. Grace covers us, and we are restored to beauty, washed with the fragrant forgiveness of God.

How would a person from Florida even understand this verse? From a picture or movie? Fake, Hollywood snow is just not the same thing. In the same way, to talk about the forgiveness of God is not the same as experiencing it. God wants to make our soul white as snow on a new winter’s day and fragrant as a spring flower.

Even though we know it won’t last before we mess it up again, what glory it is. And God doesn’t take it away. It lingers -sustained by the crisp, cold winter air. It remains a thing of beauty, even in the bright sunshine, just as God sustains us with His Holy Spirit. Bringing a freshness, a sustained strength, a joy, and continual blessing from the inside out. God gives us a pure heart. Breaking through our dark and dreary thoughts and desires, He returns us to purity - a new start. My grandson sometimes will say the sun on the snow is too bright. We can find it hard to be willing to change, but if we turn to God, He will grant us a willing spirit and sustain us.

Turn to God, have your life made white as snow. Your soul renewed, and your joy sustained.

Pastor Tom Kraft