“Whiter Than Snow”
Debby DeStefano

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow"
Psalm 51:7
As I sit here and look at the beautiful “white” snow once again, I am struck by its beauty and how fresh and clean everything looks. Yes, I know that it is a problem for many people, especially those who have to shovel and clear it. But it’s beauty still remains and you can’t help but thank God for the spectacular sights He provides for us in any weather.
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Isaiah 1:18
Have you ever heard the phrase “God’s bar of soap?” It reminds me of the verses in the Bible about the forgiveness of God and how His forgiveness makes us whiter than snow. No blemishes, no dark spots, just pure white. I was reminded of a time years ago when we were preparing our deck for staining. We had a deck put on but we never got around to sealing it or staining it so as you can imagine after a winter and living in the woods, the deck was really stained and full of dark spots. We knew that it was a mistake and we were going to have to deal with the discolored mess. I honestly thought that we were going to be stuck with it the way it was. We were going to try to clean it the best we could and then put the stain and sealer on it.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
Psalms 51:10
My husband went to Lowes and explained to them what we were trying to accomplish and they recommended a product that they said would take care of all of the stains and all in 5-10 minutes. That sounded too good to be true. So, we recruited the help of one of our teens and set out to try it. I read the instructions and sure enough that was what it said although I really had my doubts. We put the product in the sprayer and sure enough almost immediately after it was sprayed on the deck right before our eyes, the stains and marks began to disappear, and the deck began to look brand new again. Amazing! And it was so quick.
Wow, isn’t that just like God’s forgiveness? If we take our sin, our discolored messes, our dark spots, our stains and ask for His forgiveness, He immediately makes everything new and clean. He removes the stains. He removes the marks. He removes the mess. He washes everything clean and makes it brand new again. Thank You Jesus! Thank You for brand-new beginnings and brand-new starts.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9
That doesn’t mean that we can just keep sinning over and over again. Don’t mistake God’s grace for His mercy. Don’t think that you can fool God and keep sinning over and over again and think that all you have to do is keep asking for forgiveness. It doesn’t work that way. The Bible says that “God is not mocked.”
“What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.”
Romans 6:15
For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Hebrews 10:26
Thank God today for His cleansing power. Do you need to be cleansed? Do you have sin stains? You can try to cover them up and hide them, but they still will always be there. He has the power to cleanse all sins big or small. Sin is sin in His eyes. Take them to the Lord. Ask for forgiveness. He is the only One Who can cleanse you and make you whiter than snow. There is nothing like the feeling of being clean!
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17
Whiter Than Snow
Lord Jesus, Thou seest I patiently wait,
Come now, and within me a new heart create;
To those who have sought Thee, Thou never saidst “No,”
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow.
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

About the Author
Debby, the daughter of our church founder, has dedicated her life to serving God at Fairwinds Baptist Church. Now a retired pastor's wife, she continues to inspire us with uplifting devotionals, choosing joy despite her health struggles. Her unwavering faith enriches our community and reflects our mission to know God through Jesus Christ.



