READ: ISAIAH 1:18; ACTS 3:19; 1 CORINTHIANS 6:11; EPHESIANS 3:18-21

It’s almost impossible to describe snow to someone who’s never experienced it. When I was asked to explain snow once, I was at a loss for words. The nearest I came was confectioners’ sugar. But that’s not even close! Snowflakes don’t have any taste, they’re cold, they fall from the sky, they’re not sweet, and they can’t be bought in a box at the grocery store. And imagine a fort made of confectioners’ sugar. Not possible!

If I were to try again, I might say each snowflake is unique, and it has six perfect points. And in large quantities, snow is fun! I could talk about sledding, skiing, snowboarding, making snow angels, building snow forts, designing snowmen, having snowball fights.

If the snow is deep enough, it can cover up anything left outside: rusty rakes, dog poop, the dead stems of autumn flowers, little red wagons, last fall’s unraked leaves. Before the snowplow comes, before the dogs go outside, before someone tramps to the mailbox, the ground is an amazing expanse of white. A beautiful blanket reaching as far as you can see. Unblemished. Pristine.

It’s almost impossible to describe snow to someone who has never experienced it. It’s almost impossible to describe the love of Jesus to someone who believes He was only a good man. A good teacher. But not Lord of all.

In God’s eyes, our sins are more unsightly than dog poop and rotting leaves. But Jesus’s death on the cross covers them more perfectly than the snow covers the ground (Psalm 32:1; Ephesians 5:27). The snow will eventually melt and reveal the mess beneath. But once we’ve put our trust in Jesus—whose death on the cross and resurrection from the grave provided payment for our sins—we will always be, in God’s eyes, unblemished and pristine. And, most of all, beloved.

If you really want to experience snow, you have to step in it, play in it, revel in it. If you really want to experience the love of God, you have to receive Jesus as your Savior—through faith in Him and Him only—and step into His wonderful love. • Carol Raj

• Why is hearing about Jesus’s love different from experiencing it?

• If you want to know more about Jesus and what it means to put your trust in Him, see our "Know Jesus" page.

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 (NLT)