Psalm 103:8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him. 14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
God deals with our human nature. Sometimes though it’s hard to accept. Sometimes forgiving yourself is hardest form of forgiveness. Often it’s because we know what is inside of us. We know what we are capable of and if we are honest we know what we harbor in our heart. There is a song by Casting Crowns that so speaks to what I sometimes feel. I love the line in the song that says, I can’t live by what I feel, but by the truth Your word reveals. It’s a powerful line because it’s not what God is saying that condemns us but rather by our own thinking that seems to get us fixated on the problem (sin) rather than the solution (repentance). If we can get past the problem to the solution we’ll be blessed beyond imagination. It requires taking the problem and instead of wallowing in it and letting it consume us we must take a step back and look objectively at it. We need to make no excuses or justifications but just simply looking at it. Then allow the plan to form for the solution and begin to walk towards the solution rather than sitting on the problem. The obstacle that most often gets me is the guilt that the problem is there in first place and that it’s become as big as I think it has. Sin is personal, you opted to make an incorrect choice but sin is never private, it affects many.
Nothing that we do is greater or less than any other person on this planet as there is no sin better or worse than another. We all sin and we all fall short. The last thing God wants is to send us all to hell but rather his goal is to see us learn from our sin, turn away from it and keep walking forward to what he has in store for us. The guilt we feel only traps us in place. That feeling that the next time we mess up that God will say to us, “That’s it! I am so done with you!” Intellectually I think we know it’s not the case but sometimes we let that doubt creep in and it robs us of our life.
Here I am, Lord, and I’m drowning in your sea of forgetfulness The chains of yesterday surround me
I yearn for peace and rest
I don’t want to end up where You found me
And it echoes in my mind, keeps me awake tonight
I know You’ve cast my sin as far as the east is from the west
And I stand before You now as though I’ve never sinned
But today I feel like I’m just one mistake away from You leaving me this way
Chorus:
Jesus can You show me just how far the east is from the west
‘Cause I can’t bear to see the man I’ve been come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
‘Cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other
I start the day, the war begins, endless reminding of my sin
Time and time again Your truth is drowned out by the storm I’m in
Today I feel like I’m just one mistake away from You leaving me this way
I know You’ve washed me white, turned my darkness into light
I need Your peace to get me through
get me through this night
I can’t live by what I feel, but by the truth Your word reveals
I’m not holding on to You, but You’re holding on to me
You’re holding on to me
Just how far, east is from the west
Just how far, one scarred hand to the other
You know just how far, just how far east is from west
Just how far, from one scarred hand to the other
Pastor Susan 