"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so," Psalm 107:2a ESV
I also like this translation ...
"Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!" Psalms 107:2a NLT
The dictionary defines redeemed as follows:
"to buy or pay off, to recover, to exchange, to convert, to discharge or fulfill,
to make up for; make amends for; offset, to obtain the release or restoration of, as from captivity, to deliver from sin and its consequences by means of a sacrifice offered for the sinner."
On some coupons the verbiage reads "redemption code". I have been pondering these words and have come to the conclusion that I am not the coupon, but Christ is the coupon. Jesus gave His life (the coupon) in order to purchase us from sin. The coupon has a redemption code (the blood of Jesus) and it's not a discount coupon. It's a "no exclusions", "paid in full" coupon! When Jesus died on the cross, it was for you and me. His blood was the atonement ("satisfaction for any wrong doing") for sin.
I had the privilege of talking to a cancer patient who is also a believer. Her fight with cancer started with breast cancer, two separate times, then a bout with spots on her liver and now some in her head. She is so positive and believes that God will heal her. But I left that conversation a little shaken. I told my friend that the lady was so positive and inspiring, but made me think about my health and wonder where I will be in a year or two past my battle with breast cancer. My friend told me that I shouldn't think like that. Honestly, I had a hard time with the whole thing. I am human, so how can I not think about the possibility of cancer returning? Or how life will turn out or ... whatever else? That's when the word "redeemed" kept coming to mind.
I don't need to worry about tomorrow, or next year or cancer or finances or anything else. I have a life saving coupon! Because of Christ, I am redeemed and I need to "speak out", and "say so"! We all have troubles in this life, but we need to focus on Jesus and not our problems. Some of our problems may not ever be resolved this side of heaven, but how can we lead others to Christ if we're moping around about our troubles?
My prayer for you, is that no matter what you are facing that you would allow Christ to redeem you. Let Him have all of you. He has already done the hard work. I'm thankful that Jesus paid it all. I am thankful for the life He has given me and I pray that you can find contentment with what you're facing and be a light to others. If you allow God to shine through your troubles (burdens,) you will find that they are easier to carry. Perhaps because you are not actually carrying them at all.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
Monday, March 24, 2014
Friday, March 7, 2014
Iced or Hot?
“I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, ‘I’m rich, I’ve got it made, I need nothing from anyone,’ oblivious that in fact you’re a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless." Revelation 3:15-17 MSG
I like to get coffee at a drive-thru coffee stand. We know most of the workers by name. I usually get a sugar-free white chocolate Americano. What changes is the temperature. I like to get them iced, hot and blended (like a shake.)
What I don't like is if it's supposed to be iced and it's not quite cold enough. Then you have to find ice to make it colder. I also don't like if it's a hot drink and by the time you get home it's warm. Yuck! I will put in the microwave for a few minutes to get it hot again.
Well, when it comes to things of the Lord, I want to be HOT! I want to be part of things that are moving, shaking and doing great things for the cause of Christ. After everything I have gone through, good, bad or indifferent, I owe this life to Him. I don't want to sit around and do the same things with the same people and not show others to the feet of Jesus.
If you are cold or not serving the Lord, you can stay the same and that is your choice. At least by being cold, you have made a decision to not pursue the things of God. Of course, that decision comes with other consequences, but that would be a topic for a different post.
If you are lukewarm, that is not a good place to be. This can look like a lot of things. Perhaps you know right from wrong, you have seen the goodness of God, but you are not really walking according to His principles. Lukewarm is an easy state to slip into and I get that. The joke was funny, so we laugh, even though it was wrong. The movie was hilarious. Inappropriate, but hilarious. Being lukewarm starts with compromise. The after awhile, you just end up hanging out there because its easy. You don't want to discount God or be cold, but you don't want to actively be hot either because it takes work. The Bible says that this is this is pitiful.
My prayer for you is that wherever you are in life, hot, cold or lukewarm, that you would make a solid decision. My desire and God's as well, is for you to be HOT! Be in the Word, get in a church that is moving forward and surround yourself with people that are in the Word, moving forward and HOT as well.
I like to get coffee at a drive-thru coffee stand. We know most of the workers by name. I usually get a sugar-free white chocolate Americano. What changes is the temperature. I like to get them iced, hot and blended (like a shake.)
What I don't like is if it's supposed to be iced and it's not quite cold enough. Then you have to find ice to make it colder. I also don't like if it's a hot drink and by the time you get home it's warm. Yuck! I will put in the microwave for a few minutes to get it hot again.
Well, when it comes to things of the Lord, I want to be HOT! I want to be part of things that are moving, shaking and doing great things for the cause of Christ. After everything I have gone through, good, bad or indifferent, I owe this life to Him. I don't want to sit around and do the same things with the same people and not show others to the feet of Jesus.
If you are cold or not serving the Lord, you can stay the same and that is your choice. At least by being cold, you have made a decision to not pursue the things of God. Of course, that decision comes with other consequences, but that would be a topic for a different post.
If you are lukewarm, that is not a good place to be. This can look like a lot of things. Perhaps you know right from wrong, you have seen the goodness of God, but you are not really walking according to His principles. Lukewarm is an easy state to slip into and I get that. The joke was funny, so we laugh, even though it was wrong. The movie was hilarious. Inappropriate, but hilarious. Being lukewarm starts with compromise. The after awhile, you just end up hanging out there because its easy. You don't want to discount God or be cold, but you don't want to actively be hot either because it takes work. The Bible says that this is this is pitiful.
My prayer for you is that wherever you are in life, hot, cold or lukewarm, that you would make a solid decision. My desire and God's as well, is for you to be HOT! Be in the Word, get in a church that is moving forward and surround yourself with people that are in the Word, moving forward and HOT as well.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
One Million Dollars
“What’s the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right?...You’re worth more than a million canaries."
Matthew 10:29a & 31b MSG
Not quite one million dollars, but by the time I am all done, the cost of all my treatments, surgery, doctors appointments, and medications will reach around a half million dollars! This is a lot of money and I am so thankful that we have good insurance. This floors me. I would never spend that kind of money on myself. When I shop, I buy for everyone else first. The two things I like to do for myself is getting my nails and my hair done. As of now, I can't do either! My nails are in the process of falling off because of chemo, and my hair is only about a half inch long. Basically, I am a cheap date right now!
To buy a canary at a local pet store would be about $140.00. Now I don't consider that loose change, but in comparison to other things we might spend money on, that's not a lot of money. God says we are worth MORE than a million canaries (that's $140,000,000.00)!
We are worth far more than we can imagine. He loves us and wants the very best for us. We need to value ourselves and see ourselves as God sees us.
My prayer for you is that no matter what you have thought about yourself or what people may have thought of you or even called you, that you would begin to see yourself as God sees you! You are worth far more than you can imagine!
Not quite one million dollars, but by the time I am all done, the cost of all my treatments, surgery, doctors appointments, and medications will reach around a half million dollars! This is a lot of money and I am so thankful that we have good insurance. This floors me. I would never spend that kind of money on myself. When I shop, I buy for everyone else first. The two things I like to do for myself is getting my nails and my hair done. As of now, I can't do either! My nails are in the process of falling off because of chemo, and my hair is only about a half inch long. Basically, I am a cheap date right now!
To buy a canary at a local pet store would be about $140.00. Now I don't consider that loose change, but in comparison to other things we might spend money on, that's not a lot of money. God says we are worth MORE than a million canaries (that's $140,000,000.00)!
We are worth far more than we can imagine. He loves us and wants the very best for us. We need to value ourselves and see ourselves as God sees us.
My prayer for you is that no matter what you have thought about yourself or what people may have thought of you or even called you, that you would begin to see yourself as God sees you! You are worth far more than you can imagine!
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Order Number 5!
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way." Psalms 37:23 NKJV
Do you ever feel you are stuck in the great long line of life, waiting for your number to be called? Do you ever feel like you are just one of a million puzzle pieces in the hand of God, waiting for your piece to be put down to actually make something? Do you ever wonder if you have messed up the chance to be used by God? Maybe you have moved your own puzzle piece into the spilled coffee and now you have a soggy corner. Now what?
“I am God, your God, who teaches you how to live right and well. I show you what to do, where to go." Isaiah 48:17 MSG
If we can learn anything from the Bible, we should learn from the Israelites, God's chosen people. At times they were a bunch of knuckleheads just doing their own thing. When they actually listened to the Lord, He always came through and directed them where they should go. At times, they seemed like a bunch of numbers! Thousands of them wandering for 40 days and nights, but God did have a plan for them! From their lineage the Messiah would come. From their mistakes we would see God's grace and continued favor.
During these past few months, I have felt like a number. "Please be seated." I was then called by my legal name. "Have a seat in room 2", "Chair 8", etc. This is a soggy puzzle piece that I would like to exchange for the important corner piece. When I think of everything I have been through and I honestly assess my life and the last seven months, I can say I have seen the goodness of the Lord. My steps are ordered. Even though this cancer experience felt like a soggy puzzle piece, I can still be used by the Lord to complete His plan. Without all the pieces, the puzzle is not whole. He needs me to do what He set out for me to do, and He needs you too!
My prayer for you is that however you feel about your piece of the puzzle, you realize you are a part of God's master plan. If you are living in sin (of any kind,) stop it! God's desire is for you to live right! Why? When we follow the steps He has ordered for us, we have peace and contentment. We may run across things that don't seem fair or look bleak, but when we come out the other side of it, we see God was by our side the whole time. Then we can point others to Him and see that our piece has a purpose.
Do you ever feel you are stuck in the great long line of life, waiting for your number to be called? Do you ever feel like you are just one of a million puzzle pieces in the hand of God, waiting for your piece to be put down to actually make something? Do you ever wonder if you have messed up the chance to be used by God? Maybe you have moved your own puzzle piece into the spilled coffee and now you have a soggy corner. Now what?
“I am God, your God, who teaches you how to live right and well. I show you what to do, where to go." Isaiah 48:17 MSG
If we can learn anything from the Bible, we should learn from the Israelites, God's chosen people. At times they were a bunch of knuckleheads just doing their own thing. When they actually listened to the Lord, He always came through and directed them where they should go. At times, they seemed like a bunch of numbers! Thousands of them wandering for 40 days and nights, but God did have a plan for them! From their lineage the Messiah would come. From their mistakes we would see God's grace and continued favor.
During these past few months, I have felt like a number. "Please be seated." I was then called by my legal name. "Have a seat in room 2", "Chair 8", etc. This is a soggy puzzle piece that I would like to exchange for the important corner piece. When I think of everything I have been through and I honestly assess my life and the last seven months, I can say I have seen the goodness of the Lord. My steps are ordered. Even though this cancer experience felt like a soggy puzzle piece, I can still be used by the Lord to complete His plan. Without all the pieces, the puzzle is not whole. He needs me to do what He set out for me to do, and He needs you too!
My prayer for you is that however you feel about your piece of the puzzle, you realize you are a part of God's master plan. If you are living in sin (of any kind,) stop it! God's desire is for you to live right! Why? When we follow the steps He has ordered for us, we have peace and contentment. We may run across things that don't seem fair or look bleak, but when we come out the other side of it, we see God was by our side the whole time. Then we can point others to Him and see that our piece has a purpose.
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