“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”
The Wound
This psalm names a specific, deliberate image, east from west, worth noticing why this particular comparison was chosen, north and south eventually meet at poles, but east and west never converge, worth holding as genuine, comprehensive distance, transgressions removed to a place with no actual return.
This is worth examining against however much your own sense of God’s forgiveness has felt more like north and south, distance that could eventually close again, sin merely set temporarily aside rather than this psalm’s own claim, genuinely, permanently removed, as far as directions that structurally never meet.
Notice removed, not merely covered or overlooked, but actually removed, worth holding as this whole movement’s continued emphasis, genuine, comprehensive forgiveness, not partial management of ongoing guilt, but actual, permanent removal, worth trusting as genuinely, structurally true, not conditionally, temporarily true.
Whatever transgression you have struggled to believe is genuinely, permanently forgiven, receive today this psalm’s own deliberate image. As far as the east is from the west, distance that never converges, so far hath he removed it, genuinely, permanently, not temporarily set aside, awaiting eventual return.
Choose Forgiveness
- Notice whether your own sense of forgiveness has felt temporary rather than genuinely permanent.
- Receive today this specific image, east from west, as genuine, structural, permanent distance.
- Release any anxious expectation that forgiven sin might eventually, somehow return.
Prayer
Lord, as far as the east is from the west, so far have you removed my transgressions. Let me trust this as genuinely, permanently true, not temporary or conditional. Amen.
Carry this today
Forgiveness is removed as far as east from west, distance that structurally never converges.