Fly east!

      

    This morning I am sitting home instead of being in church celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.  Once again, my illness caused me to be sick all night and into this morning.  At first, I was really discouraged because Easter is one of my favorite holidays.  There is so much joy and hope in remembering that Jesus conquered death and hell for us by His death and resurrection.  I was discouraged that I could not be in church with our church family on such a joyful day.  That threatened my own joy, and to be honest, it's taken a couple hours of feeling sorry for myself until the Lord asked, "And why can't you be happy and rejoice at home?"  That changed my whole perspective on the day.  Of course I can be happy here as well as at church.  Just because my plans changed doesn't diminish the victory we celebrate today.

     So, after confessing my self-pity, I've decided to focus on what the day really commemorates.  Lately, I've been meditating on the mercy of God.  The fact that because of Christ's death and resurrection God does not give us what we deserve because Christ bore it all for us.  One of the things that is so amazing to me about the forgiveness God offers is that it is forever.  Once we have confessed our sins and accepted the free gift of His forgiveness, He will never hold those sins against us again.

     You know that I love word pictures, and there is a picture that comes to my mind whenever I think of Psalm 103:12.  

 "As far as the east is from the west, 

so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."

Fly East

     As I knelt at the cross and poured out my heart in repentance and gratefulness for God's loving gift of salvation, I felt a great weight lifted from my shoulders.  I looked up and through tears of gratitude watched in wonder as God removed the pack that held all the sins of my past.  For years I had struggled under the weight of that pack and the guilt that accompanied it.  Now, that guilt was replaced with an inexpressible peace.

     As I contemplated this, I beheld God turn to the angel nearest Him, an imposing creature standing guard with others around where I knelt.  He handed the pack of my sin to the angel with this charge, "Fly east with all thy might and lay not this burden down until you come to the west. Go!"

     The angel sheathed his mighty sword and took the burden in his hands.  He held it at arm's length as if loath to even touch it and rose form the earth.  With lightning speed, he took off to the east as commanded.  Within seconds he was out of sight.  

    Slowly I rose to my feet still gazing after the departing figure.  I gazed in wonder at the sight of my sin disappearing over the horizon.  I turned back to the Lord and worshiped Him with joy and gladness.  I sang out songs of adoration and gratitude as I twirled around at the lightness of my load.  No more did I stumble and limp under the weight of sin that had been building over many years.  Instead, my feet were lithe and free.

     As I looked up in praise, I saw a figure streak across the sky.  In bewilderment, I looked to the Lord.  He smiled and nodded, and I knew in an instance that it was the same angel still carrying my burden.  He still sped east, circling the globe as he looked for the west.

    Years have now passed, and on occasion Satan tries to bring back the guilt of those old sins.  As he reminds me of the wrongs I have done and the guilt I should feel, a figure speeds across the sky overhead.  

     I point to the sky and say, "I don't have those anymore, Satan.  God removed them and there they go!  That angel will fly east for all time and still never arrive at the west.  He will carry my sin away and never lay them back on my shoulders."

     Psalm 100:5 tells us that God's mercies are everlasting.  There is no expiration date.  His forgiveness will never end.  Our sins will never reach the west.  All because Christ died and rose again!

     Hallelujah! He is risen; He is risen, indeed!