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Psalm 51:7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
As I type this reflection, the snow is falling outside and has been for most of the night. To listen, there is a peaceful stillness. The only sound is the soft settling of snow upon snow. To look, everything is covered in a blanket of pure white. As it’s early, no one has been out in it yet, so the snow is clean and unblemished, transforming even the ugliest and most mundane objects into beautiful creations. 
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
I imagine that’s a rather fitting analogy of what God’s love, mercy, and grace do for us. On our own, we default to the ugly ways of this world—pettiness, selfishness, looking out only for number one. But God’s all-encompassing love, His amazing grace, and His unfathomable mercy cover us, transforming us. Through His mercy, we become new creations, what once was scarlet becomes white as snow, clean and unblemished. Thank You, Jesus!
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the transformative power of Your love, grace, and mercy. Thank You for the beauty of the snow and for the chance to slow down, to quiet our hearts and minds, to be still and know that You are God. Draw us closer. Amen.
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Have a blessed day.

Luke 1:78 …because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven….
My students are sometimes very resistant to taking chances, especially when it comes to reading poetry. Many are often quick to respond, “I just don’t get it,” without even trying. So I encourage them to focus on what they do understand or on images and phrases that resonate with them or that remind them of something in their own lives. I often take a similar approach when I am reading scripture, and in Luke 1:78, the line “the tender mercy of our God” is one that resonates deeply.
Lam 3:22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end….
I often talk about God’s fierce love of His children, His unending mercy, His unfathomable grace for us, but to think of “the tender mercy of our God” feels entirely different in the best possible way. God is not only mighty and fierce, He is tender and gentle, like the newborn Savior, wrapped in swaddling clothing and lying in a manger.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for scripture that speaks of Your tender mercies, and for lines of scripture that resonate deeply. Thank You for Your strength and Your gentleness and for Your precious Son, born in a stable, wrapped in swaddling clothing, who has come to redeem us all. Help us to prepare our hearts for Him. Draw us closer. Amen.
Lam 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
Have a blessed day.

Phil 1:22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me….
This section of Philippians popped up in two separate readings today. The Advent devotional from my church asked the questions: What is fruitful labor for you? How do you know it is fruitful? The little smug side of me thought: I’ve got this. Fruitful labor is writing these devo reflections every morning and being deemed a successful (read “good”) teacher. But the part of me that’s struggling so right now begged me to explore this idea further.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord.
I want to define myself in terms of my Savior, in terms of my relationship with Him, in terms of my praise and faithfulness, regardless of my circumstances. That means rejoicing in the LORD always, even when I’m slogging through the slimy pits of life, even when I feel low and unworthy and distant. Fruitful labor would be rejoicing in Him, always, instead of wallowing in my circumstances. Jesus, Help me.
Isaiah 43:19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness….
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this idea if fruitful labor. Thank You for the strides I’ve made in rejoicing always and for the knowledge that I still have work to do. Thank You for the assurance that You are with me, making a way, even when I can’t yet perceive it. Draw me closer. Let Your praise be ever on my lips. Amen.
Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the LORD always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Have a blessed day.