Begin with 2 minutes of stillness and silence before God.

It's one thing to say that you know God loves you and forgives you, but it's another to actually be loved and forgiven by God in a way that completely transforms you from the inside out. This is a love that changes the way you see yourself, alters how you view others, and transforms your relationship with God. I feel like Psalm 103 provides a perfect springboard to launch us in that direction. We're going to focus on verses 11 and 12, which you can read below:

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his faithful love

toward 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

I love how the Old Testament writers used language and poetry to help us grasp the depths, heights, lengths, and widths of God's love for us. You see the author do it here, talking about God's love being as high as the heavens are above the Earth. In verse 12, we see that love in action: God's love was to remove our transgressions, our willful disobedience, from us as far as the east is from the west—literally two points that never touch.

But when we read this, it sounds nice and encouraging, yet if we see ourselves only for our transgressions and the sins we've committed, we'll identify with the very thing God removed.

So, how do we step into seeing ourselves as God sees us? How do we embrace being loved and forgiven by God in a life-transforming way? We do this by getting to know the God who is Love and the God who forgives.

In 1 John 4:8, we read that the only reason someone doesn't love is that they don't know God, because God is love. In any relationship, there's always influence. Can we influence God? No. But can God influence man? Absolutely. This tells us there's no way to get closer to God without becoming more like Him. There's no way to know Him more without becoming more like love. The measure of how much we know God is reflected in how we love. We read this a few verses down in the same chapter, in verse 11: "Dear friends, if God loved us in this way (meaning Christ dying for us even though we were still sinners), we also must love one another."

To clarify my earlier statement, the measure of how much we know God is shown in how we love others.

And knowing God is more than just learning more about the Bible. It's about stepping into and believing what the Bible says about you and the God of the Bible.

In this case, remember that we read in Psalms 103 that "for as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his faithful love toward those who fear him." When the enemy tries to convince you that you can't possibly be loved that way because of what you've done, you must remind yourself of the truth and declare it for yourself. It's the truth that sets you free, not the facts about what you've committed. When the Bible says, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us," and the enemy reminds you of the transgressions you've committed, suggesting that you are what you've done, you must wash that in the same truth that you've been cleansed, made clean, and sins have been removed. There's nothing you or the enemy can do to bring them back.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• In what ways can you apply the truths of being loved and forgiven by God to how you view yourself and interact with others? Consider specific situations where this perspective could make a difference.
• How does the realization that your identity in God transcends your transgressions influence your daily life and decisions? Reflect on how this understanding can guide your actions and interactions going forward.
• Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for revealing Yourself to us and guiding us to see ourselves as You do – forgiven and loved. Let this truth shape our interactions and strengthen our faith. As we go about our day, remind us of Your ever-present love and help us to share that love with others.