Gone Without a Trace

Daily Devotional – Tuesday, December 6, 2022
He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Micah 7:19 (NKJV)

On 8 March 2014, the world woke up to the devastating news that Malaysia Airline Flight 370 had disappeared without a trace while flying over the South China Sea. Twelve crew and 227 passengers disappeared from radar screens only 38 minutes after taking off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport while destined for Beijing, China.

How Deep is the Ocean?

After almost four years of a multi-agency sophisticated search, authorities ended the pursuit. Many people still wonder why the aircraft wreckage has never been located. How deep is the ocean that it can swallow a huge aircraft and hide it from sophisticated human technology?

In an article titled ‘How Deep Is The Ocean?’, Suzanne O’Connell, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Wesleyan University, the deepest part of the ocean is probably the Challenger Deep, which is 11 kilometers (7 miles) or 35,768 to 36,037 feet deep.

Lost Minus a Clue

It is no wonder then that an aircraft can disappear without a trace in the ocean. That is why the imagery God uses in the book of Micah has profound effect on my perception of the mercy of God.

Here is Micah’s description of God:
“Who is a God like You? Pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:18-19).

Vanished Without a Hint

When we return to God in penitence, He forgives us unconditionally. The Lord does not keep a grudge. He treats us as if we never sinned. Like the merciful Father He is, God embraces us and assures us of forgiveness. He also gives us the power to overcome sin.

In addition, the Lord does something even more significant. He separates us from our sins. He casts our transgressions into the Challenger Deep. Our sins disappear without a trace. God deletes the record of our sins and calls us righteous.

Gone Without a Trace

Do you carry guilt for sins that God has already forgiven? Are you worried that God is still angry with you? Do you fear that when you sin again God will bring up your past transgressions against you?

Worry not. Just like large objects can disappear in an ocean and never be traced because the ocean is unfathomably deep, so does God separate you from your sins and guilt when you repent. Why worry about sins that are gone without a trace?

Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You because I do not have to carry the heavy weight of sin and guilt. I accept the joy of forgiveness because I realize my sins are gone without a trace.