Broken and Beautiful: Psalm 103

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

You may feel that something inside you is broken because of your sin, and that God can’t look at you because of it. But God sees you as beautiful because Jesus cleansed you from your sin.

“As high as the heavens are above the earth.” That’s how deep God’s love is for us. “As far as the east is from the west.”

Knowing your sin will never again be brought up by your heavenly Father should bring ecstatic joy to your heart.

Consider these words from Psalm 103. The distance from the heavens to the earth’s surface, the span of land between the east and the west, is vast. In the time of ancient Israel, these distances would have been incomprehensible. These word pictures give us just a glimpse into how completely our sins are removed by the blood of Jesus. Let the truth of that sink deep into your soul today. And then focus on another thought:

your beauty is built from your brokenness.

Sometimes, even knowing that truth, you may wonder, How can something that is broken ever be made beautiful again? It may seem impossible, but in the Master Potter’s hands, shards of clay can become a lovely vessel useful for God’s work.

Transformation from broken to beautiful happens not because of our own effort but because of Christ’s work of redemption on the Cross. He understands what it’s like to be human because He became human for our sakes.

Imagine taking a precious vase and using it as a hammer. That’s not what it’s meant for, and it will shatter that beautiful creation. Sometimes, despite our efforts to protect that vase, it can be shattered by someone else’s selfish actions. Now imagine God, who created that vase in the first place, gently picking up the shattered pieces. There is no condemnation in His eyes, only sadness for the brokenness. You think maybe He is going to throw away those broken pieces because they are not useful to Him anymore.

But then, to your surprise, He lovingly handles each broken piece — sorting, cleaning, straightening. You see tears in His eyes for the brokenness, but so much love that it squeezes your heart and you weep. As He touches each piece, it is transformed into something astonishingly beautiful.

Even though you can’t quite see the whole design yet, know that God has taken each and every broken part of your story, your priceless vase, and is creating something even more valuable because it has been restored by His hands.

Father God, King David wrote the words of Psalm 103 by the power of Your Holy Spirit. He knew of God’s forgiveness. He had sinned deeply, but he had been called a man after God’s own heart. I want to be a person after Your heart. Help me to see myself as You see me — clean, holy, and beautiful. I know that You bring beauty from ashes. Like the mythical phoenix, I want to be brought back to life by your love, resurrected from my old life. Help me to die to myself and the sins of my past that hold me in bondage. Release me from my sin by the power of Jesus’ blood. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Amen and amen.

Excerpted with permission from Peace with the Psalms, copyright Carpenter’s Code, Inc.

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Your Turn

Your story may be one of brokenness, but God is in the restoration business. He is taking every piece and creating something even more beautiful than you could ever have imagined. Come share your thoughts with us! We want to hear from you. ~ Devotionals Daily