Click here to watch my video reflection on our text for today, or keep reading for my written reflections: 

In our readings today, something really spoke to me, and almost made me laugh about our Old Testament passage and our Psalm.  Today we’ll look at parts of Psalm 103 and Isaiah 52: 3-6.  Here are the key passages to me: 

Psalm 103: 11-14:

He does not deal with us according to our sins,

    nor repay us according to our iniquities.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

    so far he removes our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion for his children,

    so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.

For he knows how we were made;

    he remembers that we are dust.

Isaiah 52:3: 

For thus says the Lord: You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.

That Psalm is always been one of my favorites, it shows what happens when we are forgiven, we are completely and totally forgiven.  Just as the east and the west will never touch each other, so will our sins be to God – they will be completely and totally forgiven, He will remember them no more.  We struggle to forgive ourselves sometimes.  God does not struggle to forgive us. 

Why?  Verse 14 tells us – he remembers that we are just dust. We are frail.  We are broken. We are imperfect.  He remembers our weaknesses.  He knows these things.  He doesn’t hold them against us, He simply knows how weak and frail we are. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.  We will all return to dust, for dust we are.  He knows that.   

And then Isaiah says, that He will redeem us.  

And that is what made me laugh. I said out loud, God, you are determined to save us.  You are determined to show us love and mercy and grace.  If we are not saved, if we don’t know God’s love and forgiveness, it is not on Him.  He is determined to show us over and over that we are loved, forgiven, accepted, restored.  God is determined to save us today. He will do all in His power to show us love.  

We just have to do our part and accept it.  

Today, you are loved, truly, where you are, right now.  Our job is to accept that love and allow that love to grow us, make us more faithful, allow that love to transform our hearts so that we can be faithful.  

God is determined to save us.  May we accept His generous offer.  Because His love can’t save us if we don’t accept it. 

Today know how determined God is to be in a relationship with you.  May we each do our part.  

If you’d like to get each day’s daily scripture reading sent to your phone along with this reading guide, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up!