He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12
Without God's help, we humans struggle to forgive. Even when we say the words, "I forgive you," we sometimes struggle to forgive fully. We often have difficulty fully letting go of anger and bitterness, no matter how hard we try. This is not the way with God. When we come to Him, confess our sins, and ask for forgiveness, He fully forgives us, completely forgiving us of our sins against Him. It is this complete forgiveness that motivates us followers of Christ to also forgive completely with the help of our God, who has completely forgiven us.
David wrote about God’s extravagant, complete forgiveness in Psalm 103. He began this Psalm by praising God. He wrote, “Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me” (verses 1-2). David’s heart was full of gratitude and thanksgiving to God. He explained why next. He wrote, “He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies” (verses 3-4). Why was David overcome with gratitude? One of the main reasons David was overcome with gratitude to God was God’s extravagant forgiveness. As he wrote about God’s forgiveness, he said, “The Lord is compassionate and merciful. Slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve" (verses 8-10). Let's pause here for a moment. Many of us have become so familiar with this language describing God's compassion and extravagant forgiveness that we miss the magnitude of what God has done for us. This language describing God's compassion and forgiveness is remarkable. God is the one who has all reason to deal harshly with us and punish us for our sins forever, but instead He offers not just forgiveness, but restoration. Several verses later, David wrote, "He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west" (verse 12). This is another way of saying that God has removed our sins from us as far as possible. His forgiveness is complete. He does not hold our sins against us, nor will He bring them up again if we come to Him for forgiveness. What an amazing God we have! In response to God's grand forgiveness, David ended this Psalm the only way possible, saying, "Let all that I am praise the Lord" (verse 22).
God forgives completely, holding none of our sins against us once we confess our sins to Him and ask for forgiveness. As His followers, we, too, must extend that same forgiveness, letting go of the sins against us just like God has forgiven us. Will you follow your Heavenly Father’s example of complete forgiveness today?
Memorize Psalm 103:12 today. Let this short, but remarkable verse remind you of God's extravagant forgiveness in your life and lead to gratitude and praise. Let it also urge you to forgive completely, just like you yourself have been forgiven by God, who removed your sins from you "as far as the east is from the west."
Psalm 103:1-22
1 Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. 2 Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. 3 He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. 4 He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. 5 He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! 6 The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. 7 He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. 8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. 9 He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. 10 He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. 11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. 12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. 13 The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. 14 For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. 15 Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. 16 The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here. 17 But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children 18 of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments! 19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything. 20 Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands. 21 Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will! 22 Praise the Lord, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom. Let all that I am praise the Lord.
©2025 Sagebrush Church
