August 4, 2008 - How Long is the Longest Drive?

This week's devo is submitted by guest coach Dan Luedke - He is a dear friend of our ministry and has some great insight...

How Long is the Longest Drive?

I heard a (supposedly true) story about a guy that bet a Million Dollars he could hit a golf ball a Mile. Now that’s 1,760 Yards! Tiger Woods hits them right around 300 Yards...a Mile is over 5 Times the distance that Tiger hits a golf ball. Since someone took him up on the bet, the man proceeded to head North. You see, he wanted to tee off across the vast expanse of a frozen lake. He did some warm-up stretches, took some warm-up swings, and unloaded on the tiny ball. It was a solid hit and ball flew through the air. It finally landed on the hard, slick ice. It bounced and rolled and bounced and rolled and bounced and rolled and bounced and rolled and bounced and rolled and bounced and rolled...BUT, it finally stopped. It went a fixed distance.

In Psalm 103:12, God tells us, “...As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” At first glance, most people read this and say something like, “Well yeah God forgives us, but it’s a fixed amount.” I don’t see this verse that way at all. It’s what I call a “nugget” in scripture. This one’s a treasure.

You see, if God would have said, “As far as the NORTH is from the SOUTH, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” It would not be as meaningful. Think about it. If you could drive from the North Pole heading due South, you would eventually get to the South Pole. At that point, you would start heading North again – although it’s a long way, the distance the North is from the South is a “fixed distance”.

Now consider how God worded His scripture... “As far as the EAST is from the WEST, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” If you were in California (the WEST) and started driving EAST, you could just keep driving and driving and driving and driving and driving and driving and driving and you would still be heading EAST, but you would never “get there”. That’s how far He has removed our transgressions (our sins) from us -- FOREVER!

Hebrews 10:14 says, “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified.” If God didn’t remove our transgressions, we wouldn’t be made perfect!

Our God is AMAZING!