Psalm 103:12 As far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins. (The Message Bible)
I drove through Kansas once many years ago. Being from the eastern part of the country I was impressed by the rolling flatness of Ohio and the expansive flatness of Illinois and Missouri. And then came the awesome flatness of Kansas. The land stretched out in all directions on a single plane until in the sky met it at some undefinable distance. It was summer and so the sun rose early and set late and creeped across the arc of the sky. The more traditional versions of the bible say “as far as the east is from the west” in this verse. There is an old poem that goes “East is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet” (Kipling, The Ballad of East and West). If you have never been to Kansas then think about wherever you have experienced the vastness of distance and consider that the Psalm says that is how far God “has separated us from our sins.” I tend to think of sins as faults and failures. Sometimes the guilt and shame of such things can breathe down our necks. The Psalm says that is an illusion. Christians believe that because of Jesus our sin is not clinging to us anymore. The Psalm indicates that this was always God’s design. This week consider, what is your sin and where is your sin now?
Logan Memorial Presbyterian Church 