8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
How far is the east from the west? They never meet. This is a symbol of God’s forgiveness of sin. When you ask for forgiveness, God separates you completely from the past sin. You never need to wallow in the past. Your past is gone. Do not dredge up your past. Your record is clean. When you follow God, model His forgiveness in your dealings with others. When you forgive others, God forgives you.
