Reading
The Lord works righteousness;
does justice for all who are oppressed.
God made his ways known to Moses;
made his deeds known to the Israelites.
The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
very patient, and full of faithful love.
God won’t always play the judge;
he won’t be angry forever.
He doesn’t deal with us according to our sin
or repay us according to our wrongdoing,
because as high as heaven is above the earth,
that’s how large God’s faithful love is for those who honor him.
As far as east is from west—
that’s how far God has removed our sin from us.
Like a parent feels compassion for their children—
that’s how the Lord feels compassion for those who honor him.
Because God knows how we’re made,
God remembers we’re just dust.
Psalm 103:6-14 (CEB)
Reflection
In our house, we practice saying two phrases a lot: “I’m sorry,”and “I forgive you.” Forgiveness is powerful, yet sometimes, even after we hear “I forgive you,” we still hold on to the guilt of our actions.
The Bible gives us a powerful image of forgiveness. As Pastor Brandon shared on Sunday, on the Day of Atonement the priest would lay his hands on a goat and symbolically place the sins of the people onto it. The goat was then sent out into the wilderness, carrying those sins far away. It’s where the term scapegoat comes from, but it also served as a reminder of the release people could experience through forgiveness.
Psalm 103 tells us that this is what God does with our sin—God removes it from our lives, separating it “as far as the east is from the west.” Because of Jesus, God doesn’t just listen to us say “I’m sorry.” God truly takes our sin away.
But sometimes, we still try to hold on to what God has already removed.
Grab a Post-it note or small piece of paper and take a moment to think about what is weighing on your heart. What do you want God to remove from you as far as the east is from the west? Write it on the note and offer it to God, saying, “I’m sorry.”
Then crumple up the note and place it in the trash. As you do, hear God say, “I forgive you.”
In a few days, when you take your trash to the outdoor bin, hear God say again, “You are forgiven.” And when the trash truck comes and carries that note far away, remember once more that God has forgiven you—and you don’t have to hold on to that weight anymore.
Prayer
Merciful God, you love me. I make mistakes and you love me. Sometimes, those mistakes weight heavy on my heart but you still love me, forgive me, and offer me a fresh start. Help me to trust in your forgiveness more than my guilt. Thank you for your grace. Amen.
