Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7
Two weeks have passed, but it is still the topic of conversation at the local hair salon, and most of the opinions are unfavorable. I’m referring to recent record-setting snowfall across the South. Our coastal area was not left out, receiving, on average, around five inches, bringing most everything to an abrupt halt for two to three days. I was in a lane all by myself when asked if I liked snow. But when I explained why, no one seemed to disagree.
There is nothing that equates to the peaceful quietness of a gentle snowfall. Other weather events that keep us indoors and hunkered down are loud, thunderous, potentially destructive, and dark. In an incomparable way, snow quietly falls, transforming the ground into a beautifully pristine, almost flawless palate. It always gives me a tangible vision of this week’s verse. Psalm 51 is David’s heartfelt confession to God after Nathan confronts him about his tragic choices concerning his sinful behavior with Bathsheba, including adultery and the contrived death of her husband, Uriah, the Hittite. 2 Samuel 11-12 has all the components of a modern-day NCIS episode with lust, secrecy, deception, lies, and murder. When Nathan confronts David, he takes full responsibility and offers his prayer of repentance to God, as we read in Psalm 51.
David was a man after God’s own heart and was wholeheartedly devoted to God. Was he perfect? Absolutely not! Not even close. If you look at his life, he broke most of the Ten Commandments at this one low point in his life. But upon being confronted, David recognizes he is a sinner and his sinful nature. As the king, he could have told Nathan he didn’t know what he was talking about and then put him in a place where he could not tell anyone else or have him killed. He was that powerful. But instead, the Holy Spirit opened his eyes, and he saw how far he had fallen and that he needed God’s mercy and cleansing. “For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). David was deeply grieved because he had grieved God. His heart ached not because he got caught and called out by Nathan but because He knew he was thoroughly stained with sin and that only God could cleanse him. His plea for mercy, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from sin” (vs. 1), is rooted securely, one hundred percent, in God’s character of unfailing love and mercy and not in his own righteousness. He had absolute faith that, having asked with a contrite heart and willingness to turn from his sin, he would be forgiven and white as snow in God’s eyes. Would he be spared of the consequences, sadly not all of them? However, the only thing that mattered to David was that he would be restored to a right relationship with God. He wanted his joy restored (vs. 12).
The next time it snows wherever you are, I hope it will remind you of God’s infinite love for humanity and His desire to cleanse and redeem us no matter how far we have fallen. With that truth in mind, the peaceful, quiet scene of a snowfall, the cover of pure white beauty that hides the brown of winter underneath, and the joy-filled squeals of children making snow angels can bring new meaning to a snow day! And that’s your Tuesday Tidbit.
The picture is the front of our coastal North Carolina home on the first day of the snow.