“Who [willingly] gave Himself [to be crucified] on our behalf to redeem us and purchase our freedom from all wickedness, and to purify for Himself a chosen and very special people to be His own possession, who are enthusiastic for doing what is good.”

This morning I sat outside on the swing reading one of my “no deep-thinking required” books. I read a lot of books to help me grow closer to the Lord or develop skills, but I also enjoy reading stories that expand my imagination. This book was one of those, and as I got to the end, the author made some excellent and unexpected points about God’s grace and mercy overflowing even when we make the most horrific mistakes.

I’m not prone to tears, but I think I might have gotten a little dust in my eyes as I read the author’s closing revelation. She wrote, “God is more than just a salvager. He is a blessed redeemer. God not only forgives, He restores. God not only heals, He blesses” (Spredemann, 2013). While I had not related to many of the specific troubles of the heroine in the Amish story, the truth remains we all face difficult moments in life. Some of those are even of our own making. Regardless of the source of the mistake, God doesn’t just patch up our brokenness, He redeems us.

Redeemed

Titus 2:14 tells us that Jesus gave Himself for us to redeem us. The Greek word for redeem means, “to cause to be released to one’s self by payment of a ransom” (G3084, n.d.). To be redeemed is to be so free that nothing hinders us from doing His will, from living a full, happy life. He paid the price; we just need to accept the gift of that freedom.

We all still mess up, saying or doing the wrong thing. When that happens, we decide our next steps. We can blame someone else. We can curl into a ball on the inside and watch the world move on as we harbor hurt, fear, or unforgiveness within us. A better choice is to get up, dust off, and see what God has for us next. But even when we do things our way instead of God’s way, He still has a plan to return us to Himself. He is always in the forgiving and redemption business. He wants us redeemed.

Forgiven

There is not one thing you could ever do that is so bad that God won’t forgive if you ask. This is part of the new covenant He made with us, when His Son died on the cross on our behalf. In Matthew 6:14, Jesus says, “For if you forgive people their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (AMPC). He put no other stipulations on the gift of forgiveness, and once forgiven, He sets you free from it. There is no longer any need for guilt or shame. Jesus bore our shame for us on the cross.

“For I will be merciful to their wrongdoing and I will never again remember their sins.”

Hebrews 8:12, HCSB

“If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].”

1 John 1:9, AMPC

Today my heart is heavy for the one who feels they have just messed up one too many times. I’m reaching out to the one who thinks what they did was too embarrassing or shameful to come to a holy God and say, “I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?” yet again. I plead with you to forgive yourself, forgive others, and ask God to forgive you so you can be redeemed and walk toward His plan for your life with your head lifted.

“But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory [and my honor], and the One who lifts my head.”

Psalms 3:3, AMP

Free and Blessed

When we receive His forgiveness and the freedom that comes with that, we are redeemed and we begin to overflow with His blessings. Love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control-all the fruits that come from letting Him prune off the weights that hinder and submitting to His instructions. Overflow always touches more than the one from whom it is flowing.

“But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23 , AMP

“But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard-things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.”

Galatians 5:22-23, MSG

Return to Him. He has a plan for you. God’s love is bigger than your worst mistake. It’s bigger than repeated mistakes! Our Father doesn’t sit in Heaven anticipating our mess-ups so He can punish us. He isn’t waiting for us to grovel for His mercy while holding our sins against us and reminding us of our unworthiness. He isn’t human. Live redeemed. His love and grace are greater than all our sins.

A Prayer

Heavenly Father,

I thank you that You sent Jesus to redeem me. Jesus, thank You for giving Your life for me and purchasing my freedom. I choose to forgive every person, from my heart, who has ever done anything wrong toward me. Bless each one and draw them closer to You. I ask You, also, to forgive me for every sin that I knowingly or unknowingly committed. Because of Your love, I am free from all sin and You see me as pure. According to Your Word, You will no longer remember my sin! Sin has no hold on me any longer. I am free. I am Your daughter, and I receive Your love and forgiveness. Now there is nothing that can separate me from You. Thank You, God, for your unfailing love and mercy. I keep myself humble before You and know You are the lifter of my head. I thank You that Your presence in me will help me to overflow in Your blessings!

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen

Let’s Talk!

What scripture is your go-to when you feel you’ve messed up or don’t know how to move forward? Leave it in the comments at the bottom of this post. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Blessings,

References:

G3084 – lytroō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org//lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3084&t=KJV

Johnston, J. (1911). Grace greater than our sin [Hymn]. Retrieved from https://hymnary.org/text/marvelous_grace_of_our_loving_lord

Spredemann, J.E.B. (2013). An unforgiveable secret. [Kindle Paperwhite version]. Retrieved from amazon.com

Free Printable Set: God’s Love is Bigger!

Enjoy this God’s Love is Bigger printable set as a free gift. Included in the download are eight colorful photos with “God’s Love is Bigger than Our Worst Mistake” printed on each. Choose your favorite to print or print them all! They are 8×10, perfect for framing!

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Printable: Redeemed!

Enjoy this Redeemed printable, reminding you that you are released from guilt and shame and are truly free. You are worth the price Jesus paid, so remember to live like it! This prints as an 8×10, perfect for framing! File includes nineteen different prints from which to choose, but you get them all! Print as many as you’d like! *You will receive a digital copy (PDF) of 19 prints in size 8×10. Available for $2.99 to download. No physical item will be mailed.

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Today’s Must-Read Recommendation:

This Season of Freedom: 5-Minute Messages to Free Your Soul

Get Paula A. Lambert’s 31-Day devotional, This Season of Freedom for more ways to win the battle of discouragement every day.

You’ll find her books as well as books and journals by other authors online at Integrity Publishing. (Purchases also available directly through Amazon.)

Photo Credit: The Beautiful Mess

The post Redeemed. No Groveling Required. appeared first on Holly D. Murray.

“God conceals the revelation of His Word in the hiding place of His glory. But the honor of kings is revealed by how they thoroughly search out the deeper meaning of all that God says.”

I loved playing Hide-and-Seek as a child. My siblings and I would play it in our big, woodsy back yard or in the house on rainy days. We’d spout chants of “no peeking” and “count slowly” as the three of us ran in different directions away from the fourth child who was “it.”

         One of my favorite places to hide in the house was under the kitchen sink. I could curl myself up on the side that didn’t have the plumbing, though I’m sure my mom didn’t appreciate my shifting her cleaning supplies. I could stay quiet there for a long time, hidden behind the dark brown doors.

         I’d keep my giggles smothered by my knees as my hands curled around them to keep me in the confined space. Then I’d listen intently until I heard the screams of one of my siblings being found in another part of the house. Quickly, I would make my escape so that I could touch base without being tagged. If my brothers ever opened the cabinet door behind which I was hiding, there’d be no place for me to run. The startled feeling of being found was always followed by the immediate sinking feeling that I was now “it.”

Love of the Game

My love of Hide-and-Seek hasn’t changed much since I’ve grown up. But being “it” is the most fun for me now. I love watching little children scurry to hide from me before I close my eyes and count slowly and loudly.

         Not too long ago, I had the privilege of watching the daughter of a friend while my friend worked. The little girl was about three-years-old. Together we played a game of Hide-and-Seek. I closed my eyes and began to count slowly and loudly to ten before announcing, “Here I come!”

         My eyes opened. I could hear light giggles and noticed a child-shaped bulge in the curtains by the big picture window. In the space where the curtains nearly touched the floor, ten of the cutest little wiggly toes peeked out.

         I spent some time calling her name and announcing the various places I was looking that I hadn’t found her. With each announcement of “no, she’s not under the table” or “no, she’s not behind the chair,” her giggling increased. When I finally “discovered” her hiding in the curtains, she squealed joyfully, eyes dancing, as I uncovered her. We then began Hide-and-Seek again, the hiding place rarely changing between there and under the bare table.

Hide-and-Seek Challenge

There’s not much credit one can take when finding the obvious hider. It took no skill at all to find my friend’s sweet little one. You can’t brag a lot when you tag the person under the sofa cushion. The cushion-covered body is hard to miss! It becomes quite exciting, however, when you finally find a hider in the most obscure place! This makes the game’s challenge very rewarding.

         I was thinking over this experience when talking with a friend recently. You see, God plays Hide-and-Seek with His children, as well. The difference is that God doesn’t hide Himself from us. Instead, He hides Himself for us to find. While my friend’s little girl wasn’t intentionally giving herself away with her giggles and visible toes, God is very intentional. He, too, wants us to find Him.

         Proverbs 25:2 reads, “God conceals the revelation of His Word in the hiding place of His glory. But the honor of kings is revealed by how they thoroughly search out the deeper meaning of all that God says” (TPT). Digging into the Word helps us to learn more about the principles that help us live a more victorious life. Scripture contains simply-stated rules to follow, to be clear. It also includes hidden treasures that reveal more of God’s character and love for us. Other verses we must ponder and ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand.

Rules of the Game

In one article, Bill Johnson explains one of the reasons for God hiding things for us. He states (2013) that “Revelation always brings responsibility.” Becoming aware of God’s expectations of us makes us responsible to carry out what we’ve discerned. James 4:17 (TPT) puts it this way, “So if you know of an opportunity to do the right thing today, yet you refrain from doing it, you’re guilty of sin.”

         This is not a comfortable truth perhaps, but it is certainly a truth we need to hear. As we begin this new year, I pray that we will all dig into the Word. It’s my desire that we learn more about God, His character, and His love for us. I also pray for nuggets of wisdom that the Holy Spirit helps us to uncover so that we can make application of it into our lives. What excitement we get when we’ve discovered something new that we didn’t understand before!

         There is nothing in the Word that will do anything short of giving us abundance in every area as we learn and grow in Him. It’s really just a matter of playing Hide-and-Seek. What truths have you discovered so far this year?

References

Johnson, B. (2013, August 1). God Hides Things to Be Found. Retrieved January 9, 2019, from http://bjm.org/god-hides-things-to-be-found

More from Holly:

To read about how God blesses us when we get busy, click here!

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