Redeemed

It was not with perishable things … that you were redeemed.
1 Peter 1:18

Sally had been attending services for about two months when the pastor and an elder dropped by to visit her husband, Bob. They brought him an information packet that included a CD of the most recent sermon. Following an extended visit, they said good-bye, and invited for Bob to come check them out.
“Vietnam left deep scars on too many good men and women,” the elder remarked, alluding to Bob’s comments about taking part in the fighting and his struggles with God since then.
The following Sunday, Sally showed up alone. The pastor asked, “Do you think Bob will come?”
“I don’t know. Maybe someday. But not today,” she said with deep sadness.
“Don’t give up,” the pastor encouraged.
Halfway through praise and worship, Bob walked through the door. And that very day, he gave his life to Christ!
There was a church picnic that afternoon right across the street from Bob and Sally’s home. Midway through the picnic, Bob appeared from the house and approached the pastor. “I wasn’t going to come today,” he began. “As a matter of fact, I turned around three times. But I wanted to see if you were as good in person as you were on the CD,” he said sheepishly. Growing serious, he reached in his pocket and stretched his closed hand toward the pastor. “I want you to have this. I was going to use it. But I don’t need it anymore.” And with that, he dropped a nine-millimeter bullet with his name written on it into the pastor’s hand.
Since that day, Bob has grown to know the One Who saved him with His redeeming power.

†

Nothing of intrinsic value could have redeemed us. The price sin required was Jesus’ blood.
Some believe they've done too much, committed too heinous a crime to be of any use to God. But no matter where we've been or what we've done, Jesus’ blood is sufficient to cover that sin.
God wants us to know our worthiness has nothing to do with salvation through His Son. He just calls us to come and be redeemed.

Prayer

“Lord, I feel unworthy. But Your Word says if I accept Your Son, You will redeem me anyway. Forgive me, Lord. I want to be redeemed. Amen.”

Enough to Send His Son

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son … for our sins.
1 John 4:10

“What makes you so sure?” Jenna’s question about God loving us apart from our performance was valid. She wanted to know why God didn't require good behavior a prerequisite to salvation.
“God told us through His Word, Jenna,” Shari explained, opening her Bible and reading, ‘This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us.’”
Shari searched for the right words. “Jenna, we could never measure up to God’s standards. His holiness requires perfection, and we aren't perfect. Scripture says, ‘All have sinned.’ That means we needed a perfect sacrifice to save us. That was God’s Son. God’s love is so fierce that He would rather send Jesus to die in our place than allow us to spend eternity apart from Him.” Shari felt it was time to ask Jenna to make a decision. “Would you like to know such love?”
“You know,” Jenna began, “I've watched you and Walt, and I see something.” She paused. “You have such a peace, even when things aren't going so great. I’d really like to know that peace in my life.”
Shari silently asked for the right words. “Jenna, God wants you to know that peace too. All you need to do is accept His Son into your heart. You can’t earn salvation; it’s a free gift given at a high price.” Seeing tears begin to form in Jenna’s eyes, she pressed on. “Just ask Jesus to take over from today on. Tell Him you know you’re a sinner in need of His sacrifice.”
Jenna bowed her head, and Jesus became her Lord and Savior.

†

There is nothing we can do to earn God’s love or approval. He showed us His love on the cross of Calvary.
He does require a humble heart, a heart turned to Him, a heart willing to accept His great love and not one trying to earn it.
It costs us nothing. It cost Him everything because He cared enough to send His Son.

Prayer

“Father God, I lift my life to You in this moment and commit it to You. Wash my sins white as snow with Your Son’s blood. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Distant Shores

Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.

Proverbs 4:1

Marion had been sailing since he was old enough to hold the tiller steady. In fact, when he graduated High School, his parents helped him purchase a twenty-two foot single-mast sailboat, instead of a car. He’d spent every spare moment sailing the clipper or shining its brass. Each trip was an adventure, an exploration into nautical navigation’s boundless classroom. There was something spiritually liberating about sailing on the open sea, and Marion discovered a deeper yearning for adventure that until now had laid dormant.

His father had aroused his interest, “Nothing like it, Son…you and the sea! She’ll treat you right if you listen to her! But she’ll kill you quick if you ignore her warnings! Remember…in order to reach the other shoreline, you have to lose sight of the one you set sail from. Don’t be afraid; trust your compass and your skill as a sailor and navigator. Never forget that God is in control, and you’ll be just fine.”

Marion smiled nostalgically as the old clipper rounded the outer marker. He had listened to his father’s counsel, and today he was passing that wisdom on to his eight year-old son. “Hold her steady, Nicholas. Just get a feel for the pull on the tiller.”

†

Because Marion’s father had nurtured his love and fascination for the sea, as well as his trust in Jesus Christ to navigate the circumstances of his life, Marion had not only become a proficient sailor, he had learned to completely rely on God.

As fathers, we can do no greater service for our children than to nurture an adventurous spirit, and an adventurous spirit in the Lord. God is not a Father Who wants us to stay tied at anchor, bored with the tedium of life. He wants us to set sail for distant shores, and to remember that in order to reach the unseen goal we must lose sight of the comfortable shoreline we are standing on.

Prayer

“Give me the strength and courage to set sail for distant shorelines You want me to stand on, Lord. And help me to not look back in anxious fear. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

The Dime

“…see that you also excel in this grace of giving…God loves a cheerful giver.”

2 Corinthians 8:7, 9:7

Kelly and Barb had been going to Grove Nazarene for almost a year when they decided it was time to get on board financially. Actually, it was more Barb’s idea than Kelly’s. Still not completely sold on tithing, Kelly reluctantly wrote a check for ten percent of their week’s income, and stuck it in his shirt pocket.

During church he weighed the merits of giving away their hard-earned income to a church that, as far as he could see, didn't really need his money. The silent debate raged even as the ushers began receiving the offering.

With the basket just two rows away, Kelly noticed his three-year-old daughter reaching for something on the floor. Being a conscientious father, Kelly had scanned the carpet and chairs for anything a small child might find and stick in their mouth when the usher had seated them. Having found nothing earlier, Kelly was surprised, when holding a dime at arm’s length, she asked, “Can I put this in the basket, Daddy?”

Perceptive enough to recognizing the significance of the mysteriously-appearing dime—ten cents being ten percent of one dollar…God’s mandate for tithing—Kelly couldn’t get the check out of his pocket and into the basket fast enough!

In the subsequent weeks and months, God showed Kelly that his faithfulness in tithing would be met with God’s faithfulness in meeting every financial need.

†

God will not pry from our hands what is rightfully His…ten percent or otherwise. He will, however, provide object lessons for our benefit such as having Paul share the eager generosity of the Macedonian’s with the Corinthian church (2 Corinthians 8:1-7) in the hope they might follow the Macedonian’s lead. He provided a similar lesson for Kelly using his daughter and a dime.

God considers us sensitive enough to understand these lessons, leaving the response to us. He’s looking for those who would advance His Kingdom; not simply out of obedience, but out of a glad heart that finds joy in seeing His Kingdom prosper.

“Teach me to hold on loosely to the things You have given me, Father. Create in me a heart that cheerfully invests in the Kingdom of Your Christ. Amen.”

Shift Your Focus

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus...

Hebrews 12:1, 2

As the service started, Laura noticed the young man in a motorized wheelchair. She watched as he pressed a button on his control stick. The chair portion of his mobility unit lifted, extending up and back, giving him the ability to use the limited function of his arms and hands to push himself to a sitting position so he didn't have to remain slumped in his seat. He then lowered the chair back down, and began to sing.

Oh, Lord…Laura thought, I have nothing to complain about! If he can come in here and sing with that smile on his face then I can do the same! and with that, Laura joined in the chorus of Chris Tomlin’s ‘Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone’.

The message that day was about shifting our focus off our problems, where Satan wants it, and looking to the One Who has the ability to lift us above every trial, struggle and sorrow we will ever face, to a place of peace and security in the midst of the struggle.

God spoke to Laura, “I know of your pain and problems. I promise that one day soon your struggles will end. Until then, look to Me. If you do, I will set you free.”

†

In Tomlin’s rendition of Amazing Grace, he sings, ‘My chains are gone; I've been set free…’ The power of such truth comes from knowing that no matter what happens to us in this world, and bad things do happen to us all, we can find rest and freedom in Christ Jesus to weather every storm.

This is not to say we do not feel pain, and our problems aren't real…they are ours and we must walk through them. But we don’t have to focus on them.

The secret is in what we spend our time looking at. If we focus on the problem the problem is what we will see, feel, and live. Conversely, if we set our eyes on Jesus, we will find peace and confidence that breaks the chains of emotional and spiritual captivity.

Prayer

“Give me the strength to keep my eyes and mind focused on You, Lord Jesus. Just for today, help me remain fixed on You, and Your power to break my chains! Amen.”  

He Records Each Tear

Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?

Psalm 56:8 NKJV

Going through Helen’s belongings was proving to be as difficult as Ken figured it would be. Having experienced the pain of loss before, he’d put it off for the first six months following his wife’s death. Today he hoped that sorting through things might bring some comfort and chase away his melancholy.

As Ken opened the ornate jewelry box, his eyes fell on the small vial with the purple ribbon tied around the neck. His tears began anew. “I forgot about this, Lenny…” he silently whispered. Holding the little glass container at eye level, he read the small tag he himself had attached to the vial, “He knows your pain and has recorded every tear. He misses nothing and comforts your soul.” His crying intensified until he was sobbing.

Twenty years ago, they’d lost their oldest daughter, Laura, to cancer. At a time when he and Helen needed comfort and the assurance that God was aware of their pain, a friend had given them a plaque with Psalm 56:8 written over the picture of a scroll with God’s hand holding a quill.

This was a special vial. For in it was their daughter’s tears, tears Ken had wiped from Laura’s eyes and placed in this vial during her battle. He’d given the vial to Helen as a reminder that God was keeping track of her heartache, one tear at a time.

Reminded of how they’d weathered that storm, Ken found renewed hope for the future.

†

In the midst of our deepest pain we have more questions than answers. And sometimes God feels far away, distant and aloof. But through each trial we face He offers comfort, sometimes through a verse of scripture, sometimes through a kind word from a friend, always in a way He hopes we’ll recognize as personal.

Does it end the pain? Not entirely. But He offers us healing, and promises to make it bearable if we’ll give Him our burden.

Thanks to David, we can take comfort in the knowledge that God not only knows about our heartache, but catches and records every tear…because that’s what a loving Father does.

Prayer

“In this dark night of my soul, Lord, catch and record each tear I cry. Give me hope for the future. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Awaken the Dawn

I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, Lord…for great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Psalm 57:8, 9, 10

Sitting in the pre-dawn woods, Eric and Corey anticipated the morning’s hunt…and the display they were about to witness.

As the sun began its ascent in the southeastern sky mute colors began to trace their way across the horizon. First to appear was a deep purple, barely noticeable through the trees. With just enough clouds in the sky to receive the tints and hues of a Mid Western sunrise, the hunting partners watched the day begin. The parade of color was captivating. Each passing moment brought subtle, almost imperceptible changes. Shades of pastel light began appearing as if they were being painted on a canvas: cobalt blue, lavender, pink; all mingled to create a celestial pallet. Moments later, burnt umbra began spreading tendrils of brightening luminescence north and south, inching higher in the sky.

Finally, as the golden sphere of the sun peeked above the hills, the lighter blue of daylight began to bring definition and detail to the woods. Shadows were chased into hiding. Animals that had been moving under the cover of darkness were now visible.

Corey and Eric began surveying their surroundings, grinning at each other with a knowing smile. They’d shared enough sunrises to know what the other was thinking: What a way to spend the morning!

†

There are few things that rival the magnificence of a sunrise when viewed from nature’s vantage point. Witnessing such splendor from introduction to finale is God’s visual utterance of Paul’s verbal declaration: For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities…have been clearly seen… Romans 1:20

Sadly, many of us regard the freshest part of the day as but the beginning of another struggle; we can no longer see the beauty of God’s “Good Morning!” Numb to His greeting, we lose the ability to be moved and lifted by such a display, above our struggles, giving us a better position from which to gain perspective for today.

If you’ve missed today’s sunrise do your soul a favor…get up early enough to bear witness to Tomorrow’s.

Prayer

“Lord, teach me to see things as You see them. Open the eyes of my heart and bring a fresh perspective to my day. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”