This dog, y’all.  He’s honestly one of the best things in my life.  He’s a joy and a comfort and, oddly enough, God has used him to teach me so much of His truth in the last four years.

Consider this the first in a series of posts I’ll call “Lessons from my Dog”.

Finn loves a good snowstorm, especially when the snow is fresh and the plow hasn’t gone through the neighborhood.  It is so fun to watch him run at full speed up and down our empty street.

One thing that always strikes me during that first snowstorm of the year is how he stands out against the white snow.  I often think of him as a white dog, but the reality is he’s a dirty blonde. 🙂

He really does stick out like a sore thumb.

I can’t help but think about what Scripture says about us when I compare Finn to the fresh snow.

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7)

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow…” (Isaiah 1:18)

We are filthy when compared to God’s holiness.  Only He can clean us and make us white as snow.  At best, all our good works can only make us as white as Finn.  We look good at first glance, but when held up against the standard, we are actually complete frauds.

Isaiah says it this way: “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”

Purify me, Lord. Wash me white as snow. It is only by Your grace that I am saved.