"He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103: 10-12
Unlike the way we deal with other people, God does not keep
an account of the impolite comments, sins, and transgressions we make. The little lies we pass on, the judgmental
opinions we share, and the intentional slights we commit affect our personal
relationships, but they are forgiven by God. We are guilty of mentally recording the faults and failings of friends
and acquaintances only to revive them later.
God does not reward or punish us based on the severity or
number of sins we have committed. He
accepts us where we are and reveals His plan for our lives offering the
knowledge that we have a second chance to measure up to His expectations. For those who fear God’s judgment and
recognize His authority, should never worry that God will demand suffering
equal to the severity of their failings. The possibility of God’s eye-for-an-eye punishment is so unlikely that
David, the author of this passage, compared it to the distance between the
earth and the farthest planet and the east to the west.
A “logical” person might ask, “Why doesn’t God deal with us
in accordance to the severity of our inequities?” The answer is that He already “wounded” Jesus
“for our transgressions” and “crushed” him for our sins (Isaiah 53:5).
Prayer: Lord God, give us the confidence to fear you and appreciate the gift of forgiveness you offer each of us. Help us hold ourselves to the plans you have for our lives. We thank you for the chance to experience a new beginning. With God’s assurance that our sins are not collected into ever-increasing bundles of inequities, help us to dive into God’s plan for our lives. Amen
Carol McClain
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