Devotional for 06/08/2012
Whiter than Snow
"Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."
- Psalm 51:7
Years ago, when distressed by my choice of words, one of my aunts inserted a piece of soap into my mouth and proceeded to vigorously scrub my offending tongue. Of course, modern thought may say that the soap treatment is not the way to correct a child for bad language; but for me at least, it did not stunt my growth, cause me to fail in school, or limit my lifespan. The experience did teach me to be more careful with my speech, but my aunt’s actions did not rid my heart of all the bad words. The soap had limited cleansing power.
A few years later, as a teenager, I prayed the Psalmist’s prayer from our focus verse and learned what true washing is. God washed my heart and my life in the precious Blood of Jesus. He cleaned up my speech in a moment of time, and since then, I have never had a slip of the tongue in profanity. His cleansing power removed even the darkest stains of sin, and made me whiter than snow.
Have you ever wondered how something could be whiter than snow? Was David asking the impossible of God? Had David understood the structure of a snow crystal, he would have known he was perfectly correct in his request. Snow crystals are formed in the clouds when water vapor freezes on a particle of dust, bacteria, or some other solid material. Though not visible to the human eye, each snow crystal contains a microscopic impurity at its core. Thus, the Psalmist’s request was to be cleansed beyond the possibility of any trace of sin remaining in him. Yes, even purer and whiter than snow!
The Psalmist penned these words long before anyone knew the structure of snow, yet God, through the Holy Spirit, inspired this prayer to be written beyond the understanding of man. Today, we know that he was correct in his prayer, and if we are saved, we have firsthand knowledge that an experience with God leaves no residue of sin at the core of one’s life. Some may try to mimic His cleansing work with the soap treatment and other methods of correction, but only God can wash a heart whiter than snow. May we never forget to appreciate and thank God for the miracle He performed when He washed us in Jesus’ Blood!