"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

Psalm 103:11-12

At the outset of this psalm, the psalmist calls upon his entire being to praise the Lord for what the Lord characteristically does for him (vv. 1–5). Then the psalm looks back to the Lord’s self-revelation to Moses as a compassionate and gracious God (vv. 6–9). After that, it moves out in ever-widening circles to celebrate what God does for his people (vv. 10–14), for all humanity (vv. 15–18), until, finally, the whole creation comes into view (v. 19). It then turns to the supernatural world, calling on the angels (vv. 20, 21) and all creation (v. 22) to praise the Lord. The psalm closes as it opens, encouraging the psalmist to add his voice to the praise of the universe, like the single note of a triangle penetrating the sound of an orchestra in full flight.

Different verses in the psalm will stand out to different readers. But verses 11 and 12, in the center of the psalm, are a high point: ‘as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.’ For those with a personal relationship with the covenant God, especially those who revere his name, his love and his forgiveness are immeasurable.

CLOSING PRAYER

Holy God, I praise you for all you are to me and I thank you for your Word that continues to teach me more of who you are and what you have done.

(from Encounter with God)