WHITER THAN SNOW

For as the rain comes down, and

the snow from heaven, and do

not return there, but water the

earth, and make it bring forth

and bud, that it may give seed

to the sower and bread to

the eater,

So shall My word be that goes 

forth from My mouth; it shall not

return to me void, but it shall

accomplish what I please, and

it shall prosper in the thing

for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10,11

My co-church staff member came into my office with some excitement, Bible in hand.  She had come across the above verses and it was such a blessing to her.  We had often sung the hymn that said, "now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow" and that brightness was hard to comprehend.  However, she had found something else that blessed her.

At that time, there was a reason for any thought of snow.  We were in northern Indiana where it seemed we had snow beginning in November and off and on often through the month of March.  By April, parking lots had huge piles of dirty-looking snow.  It seemed we could never get away from it.  Snow was a reality for us and a constant in our lives.

With our snow falls, even if snow had fallen overnight sometimes to knee level, folks still went to work, schools didn't close nor businesses.  Life just went on despite the inconvenience.  When we moved to Texas, we often found humor in how where we lived, everything closed down with only an inch or two of snow on a street.  I must admit that it was a relief compared to what we had tolerated further north.

Scripture often mentions snow.  It is used as a comparison of the whiteness and glory of a situation with Jesus mentioned at times.  But in our everyday lives, we might wonder at times why we have to have the snow inconveniences in our lives.  We see God in the beauty of spring, with everything beginning to grow and bloom.  We give God credit for the beauty of the fall season when it He has taken a huge paint brush, covering nature with color as only He can do.  Summer with it's warmth, activities and vacations are such that we don't even give a thought of winter

God gets little credit for the winter when nature seems to have changed from green to gray.  In this season, we see little natural beauty but it has a beauty all it's own and snow is an indicator of it.  God never wastes a single thing in His creation, not even if it is only a mere tiny snow flake.  We are told there aren't any two snow flakes alike.  How like God.  Interestingly enough is that walking our earth, there are also no two people alike.  That snow we see now will melt and sink into the pores of our land.  It will aid in the nurturing of new life, come spring.  Each little snowflake makes that kind of contribution.  Such is true for us and how God wants to use each of us to spread His spiritual nurturing through us right where we are.

Father God, thank You for this time.  Snow may slow us down or keep us indoors but even then, You still have a divine plan.  Help us to not waste this time of being hindered in our activity.  May we take some seemingly idle time to spend with You that we might serve and grow in You.  In Jesus' precious name...Amen