Psalm 147:16 “He sends the snow that is white like wool; he spreads the frost that is white like ashes.”

Both cover the rooftops and the barren ground that is asleep from its work in summer and lie dormant. Ah, the winter scene! The first snowfall is beautiful but many snowfalls later it becomes drudgery. It is cold, wet and the snow has picked up the colors of the landscape of a barren ground that is asleep as well as the roadside dirt. How like us when we first meet Jesus and our sins are covered but then the snowplows come and seek to cover our new relationship. We find ourselves slipping and sliding in our daily sins and temptations. Rather than repenting we just allow the snowplows to cover our sin with our works that never will cleanse. “But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness” [1John 1:9] Confessing is agreeing with God about the dirty snowbanks sins in our lives. Forgiveness is new and refreshing like the new blankets of snow he sends our way. Cleansing is every trace of the gray and dirty snow has been removed just as the psalmist said: “he removes the guilt of our rebellious actions from us” [Ps 103:12] It is as if He sends a new blanket of snow to cover over what He has forgiven.

The winter scene is a picture of our relationship with God and each newly fallen snow is a reminder that with confession comes the covering of our sin.