Receiving forgiveness makes you feel refreshed

“‘Come now, let us argue this out’ says the Lord. ‘No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow.’ ”

— Isaiah 1:18 (NLT)

I watched as the snow gracefully floated down to the ground. As it tumbled from the clouds, it brought cleansing for all the barren surroundings.

Somehow, it felt refreshing to see the pure white bathe our lifeless brown tree branches and bring them to life. The next day, as the sun glistened off the powdery snowflakes, I noticed their beauty gleam from the rooftops, snow banks, and every object covered within my sight.

I found a new white covering hiding the cracks in my patio and the surrounding gray pavement was covered with a fresh new look of whiteness as well. It was as if God had released this fresh fallen snowfall in the midst of our drab winter days, to bring a time of refreshment. It’s served to cover up the muddy ground and the bleak days of winter.

God uses symbolism of a freshly fallen snow to prove to us that the same cleansing that falls to the earth in the gloomy barren winter can come to our spiritual life as well.

We can become depressed and lifeless when we allow sin and guilt to overtake our souls. By receiving Jesus Christ’s forgiveness, we have the freedom to come to God anytime and ask him to forgive us, no matter what we have done. If our heart is sincere, God pardons us of our sin.

Although we may not feel immediate release, due to our guilt, if we continue to remind ourselves that we have been forgiven, we will find that time of refreshment will start to fall on us and cleanse us like the beauty of a fresh snowfall.

ŸAnnettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. Join Annettee for her conference “Writing and Speaking for Fun or Profit” from 3-5 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at Panera Bread in Round Lake Beach. Conference is free, please register due to limited seating. Call (847) 543-8413 or email Annetteebudzban@aol.com