white as snow

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow"

It snowed last night. it's the most beautiful snow I've ever seen. very dry.. it's like crystals all over the ground. I was looking out the window this morning at the back porch. there isn't much snow on the table and chairs - just what blew up there - but it's so beautiful.

immediately, I heard the words to an old hymn in my head. .."now wash me and I will be whiter than snow.."

then I went to the Word. I love how it begins. "let us settle the matter," says the LORD.

the Message says it perfectly, 'enough with your arguing.'
listen to me.
this is how it IS.
it's settled.

it doesn't matter how much I bring up the past or what my opinion is, it's settled.

have you ever dropped something liquid in snow? it immediately ruins the white, flawless look. the liquid even bleeds all around where you drop it and discolors the whole area. and there's no way to get it back to the way it was. once it's disturbed, it's never white again. really white. like it is when it falls from the sky.

now add to that - red. red doesn't play.
paint, icing, fingernail polish, blood, kool-aid, ink, food coloring, even fabric..
red is not a friendly color. it's selfish.
it wants everything around it to be left with its mark.
and scarlet is just worse.. it's dark red.
there's no getting away from it. once you get dark red on you, you can use paint thinner, acetone, bleach.. and you can fade it - but you're not back to normal - it just has to wear off.

"though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow".

only God can do that.

change what is scarlet into white.

so today I am thankful for salvation.

for the way that God, in a way only He can, takes what is ruined and makes it completely new. white. flawless. blameless. crystal clear.

and that, my friend, is amazing. at least through my eyes.