Wow—what a winter it has been. It feels like every time I look out the window, it’s snowing again. I recently mentioned to our church family that God delights in sending snow to the earth. Its purpose is far greater than just piling it up along the roads or using it to coast down a hill at full speed. I’ll admit, I never quite understood the appeal of skiing. I tried it once, barely escaped with my life, and decided that was enough adventure for me.

I truly believe that all of God’s creation has a voice. It declares His greatness and His goodness day after day. As I’m typing this, I’m looking out the window and watching the snow fall, and it’s reminding me of something precious. Snow has a way of exposing imperfections. Its whiteness is so pure that when mud or grime mixes in, it’s immediately noticeable. You can’t miss it.

That picture reminds me of the holiness of God. His holiness is declared throughout all the earth, and heaven itself cries, “Holy, holy, holy.” God’s holiness is also the reason we, as sinners, cannot enter heaven on our own. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God, as Paul reminds us. But God did not leave us in that condition. He came to us. He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins so that through His sacrifice, our sins could be washed away and we could be made fit for heaven.

This is where the snow becomes such a beautiful illustration. Scripture tells us that snow pictures what Jesus has done in our hearts. He has washed away our sin. He has taken what was stained, blemished, and obvious in the light of God’s holiness, and made us clean—white as freshly fallen snow. That truth never gets old, and it never stops being a blessing.

This winter may end up being one for the record books. But instead of only thinking about the cold, the shoveling, and the inconvenience, try changing your perspective. Let the snow remind you of your salvation and what Jesus has accomplished in your life. It just might put a smile on your face—even on the coldest, snowiest of days.