Far as the East is from West; Psalm 103, Proverbs 11

May the mumbling commence!

How great is our God!  Though we fail the Lord every day of our lives, God’s mercy covers it all.  Our sins are removed from us.  Read from Psalm one-hundred three:

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 

As a father pities his children,

So the LORD pities those who fear Him. 

For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust. (Verses 11-14)

God’s mercy and grace is far beyond our ability to perceive.  They are above and beyond our human experience – much like heaven above and heaven within.  God’s amazing mercy removes our sins as far as the east is from the west.

Have you ever wondered why the Scripture says as far as the east is from the west and not as far as the north is from the south?  Well, if we travel east or west and maintain our direction, we will always be traveling east or west.  North and south are a different story.  If we consistently travel north, we will eventually be traveling south…

Let us thank God for the pity shown us.  Let us thank God, for our Creator remembers how we were made.  We are but dust.

And, when we are so far removed from our sin, let us look around at our new surroundings.  Where has the Lord taken us?  What is the Lord calling us to do from this new position?  How can I glorify the name of the Lord?

Let us ask these kind of questions and seek answers from the Holy Spirit.  If we do not examine our new surroundings and find God’s will for us, then we will be condemned to return to our old ways.  May we resist trying to find our old haunts.  May we resist trying to reestablish old patterns of thoughts, words, and actions.

We are removed so that we can think and speak and act like children of God.  Let us give thanks to God for mercy by growing closer to our Lord.  To give thanks in this way is one way to glorify the name of the Lord.

To think and speak and act in godly ways is to understand more about our God and ourselves.  And we will have a peace that cannot be shaken.  It is the peace that comes only from right relationship with God and with humanity.  Read from Proverbs chapter eleven:

He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor,

But a man of understanding holds his peace. (Verse 12)

May we be removed from our old ways and attitudes so that we may take up the Way of the Lord, the Way of Obedience to God.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out