Day 31: God's Forgiveness: As far as the East is from the West.
Read: Psalm 103; Psalm 32; 1John 1:1 - 9
Latitude: When looking at a map, latitude lines run horizontally (North
and South). Each degree of latitude is approximately 69 miles (111 km)
apart; there is a variation due to the fact that the earth is slightly
egg shaped. Zero degrees is the equator, the imaginary line which
divides our planet into the northern and southern hemispheres. 90° north
is the North Pole and 90° south is the South Pole.
Longitude:
When looking at a map, longitude lines run vertically (East to West).
They converge at the at the North and South poles and are widest at the
equator (about 69 miles or 111 km apart). Zero degrees longitude is
located at Greenwich, England (0°). The degrees continue 180° east and
180° west where they meet and form the International Date Line in the
Pacific Ocean.
By earthly standards you can measure the degree distance East from West. However,
please remember this one truth, the lines do not just stop at the
Poles. The lines are universal in scope. Whether they are referred to as
North South East West They all extend out to the very ends of the
universe. Now how far apart is East from West?
The Psalmist writes:
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:11 - 12)
The Psalmist also writes
1 Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’,
and you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32:1 & 5)
Forgiveness of self is something we struggle mightily with. We hang on
to ourselves with grips of iron and steel. We will go to no end
sometimes to hang on to our past and let our past reign over our present
and choose to accept it as our only future. We are too often afraid of
what our future might become for ourselves and others. We will look
forward to the possibilities of a much better future and just as quick
we will believe that our past is just too hard to put behind us. We do
not want to go back.
We cannot forget our past for we cannot
change it. For the same reason we cannot always bring ourselves to
forgive either and choose to live life beyond it. With God, once we
surrender to Him our past, once we accept in our hearts that God can do a
far better job of forgetting our past than we can (as far as the East
is to the West), then the miracle of God's perfect grace, perfect transforming love is
revealed, we can live again if we freely choose accept God's gifts!!
Meditate over this: God
declares that He is more willing and ready to forget, to bury it in the
very depths of the sea never to be remembered to again than we are to
give Him the golden opportunity to do so. For as far as the East is from the
West, He will not, not remember your past. As hard as it may be for us
to accept this as perfect truth; He will immediately forget our past and
will immediately begin the life changing process of transformation into
His image, creating within you and for you a new future (Jeremiah 29:11 - 14).
Today pray the Lord's Prayer as often as you can. Pray to the Lord to
reveal to your heart, soul and spirit the deeper truths within "Forgive
us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." By the
shedding of His blood we are freed!! We are freed indeed (John 8:31 - 32)
http://www.youtube.com/
East to West - Casting Crowns [with lyrics]
www.youtube.com
One
amazing song by Casting Crowns and it describes my life perfectly. hope
you enjoy. Lyrics: Here I am Lord and I'm drowning In your sea of
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