When I lookout my breakfast nook window after a snow
I see a snow-covered hillside garden. The
scene always puts an old hymn into my mind—“Whiter Than Snow” (circa 1872). As
I admire the snowy beauty, glad that I don’t have to get out in it, I find myself
humming the tune and marveling at its words.
If you aren’t
familiar with the song, whose lyrics were written by James L. Nicholson, you
can hear it on YouTube. Online, I found six
verses to this hymn, but my favorites verses are
1 and 6, and, of course, the chorus. These two verses, in my opinion, sum up a
Christian’s assurance of heaven—our confession of faith in the Lord, our
baptism, and God’s response to our surrender.
Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole; I want
Thee forever to live in my soul;
Break down every idol, cast out every foe—Now wash
me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
The blessing by faith, I receive from above; Oh,
glory! my soul is made perfect in love;
My prayer has prevailed, and this moment I know, The
blood is applied, I am whiter than snow.
Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow,
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
The song’s inspiration was most likely Psalms 51:7:
“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter
than snow.”
As much as I love the beauty of a fresh snowfall,
its glory will diminish as time goes by. Children will roll snowmen in the
front yards, exposing the brown grass and mud beneath the snowflakes. Cars will
splatter gray mush onto the pure white edges of the road. And eventually the
sun will come out and melt away winter’s glory. The picture perfect moments
that have drifted from the sky aren’t permanent.
But when God washes us and makes us whiter than snow, that purity won’t fade
as long as we are His. In the book of
Revelation, Jesus said, “They will walk
with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed
thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of Life.”
(Revelation 3:4-5)
I don’t know about you, but I take great comfort in
knowing that my walk with the Lord has made my soul whiter than snow.
So, the next time a winter storm comes your way, remember
this old hymn and celebrate the storm’s beauty—even if you have to shovel ten
inches of snow. Because as the song says, The
blood is applied, I am whiter than snow. Oh, glory! my soul is made perfect in love. And that’s something to
celebrate.
About the Author:
Multi-award winning
author Catherine Castle loves
writing, reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a
passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the
local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find
her award-winning Soul Mate books
The Nun and the Narc and
A Groom
for Mama, on Amazon.
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