The Far Distance – Anne Adams
“As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12 NKJV)
“If God forgives our sins, what does he do with them?”
Aiden’s sudden question surprised Mark, but as a Sunday school teacher of a small class of young boys, he knew his students were bright and inquisitive – Aiden in particular. Yet how could he answer what for Aiden was a logical query? (Logical at least to Aiden, since they’d been discussing how God forgives and cleanses our sins.)
Then Aiden had another question, "God forgives and cleanses, but does he ever put our sins back?”
Mark paused to think, then got an idea and motioned the children to gather around a world globe in the corner.
"Now, Aiden – hold your finger right there on the United States...” Aiden held his finger on the globe as directed, and Mark continued.
"Now keep your finger right there on the United States, and we'll slowly turn the globe to the right...that's good... so note that we're going east here....now keep turning – keep your finger in place..further..further... that’s right – see that we’re turning it back to where you started..further…. Stop there!! Now, where's your finger?"
Aiden studied the globe. "Hey! I’m back in the United States." He was clearly puzzled. "But how's that? I was going east and now I’m back where I started ... I came in from the west ..Hey, what does that mean?” Then he looked up. “It’s like east and west never meet!”
“Which goes with what the psalmist was saying,” Mark smiled. “See, in the psalmist’s image God removes our sins as far as the east is from the west” and since the east and west never meet, that means our sins are gone. So what God forgives he removes — so far away that even He can’t find them, so he can’t put them back!”
Aiden slowly removed his finger from the globe and grinned. “Wow - that’s awesome!”
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