re·deem (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/redeem)
transitive verb \ri-ˈdēm\
b : to get or win back
a : to free from captivity by payment of ransom
b : to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental
c : to release from blame or debt : clear
d : to free from the consequences of sin
b (1) : to offset the bad effect of (2) : to make worthwhile :
A few years back I was stuck on the word redeem. I don’t know why. I don’t remember if I participated in a Bible study about redemption or a song on the radio brought this concept to the forefront of my brain. Maybe it was a sermon. I can’t recall. But I do know that somewhere, somehow, I began to pray for God to redeem my daily mistakes—big and small.
I began to live with the peace and assurance that Jesus could and would redeem the painful words I lashed out to my kids on bad mommy days. I simply prayed with a very repentant, grieving heart, “God, please redeem it.”
That prayer has never ceased from my lips. I’ve needed it some days more than others. I think I’ll have to keep praying it as long as I’m human, covered in skin, in need of oxygen. Though I hope in time my spirit becomes less me and more like Jesus.
Every mistake, silly to serious, such as misspelling a literary agent’s name or adopting a puppy even with the likelihood my son’s allergies would flare up (which they did) or the huge blunder of hurting a friend’s heart—I’ve watched God redeem.
He takes those bad mistakes and uses them for something good, better, healthier. He’s not only redeemed me every day for eternity… He redeems my everyday.
What about you? Do you need to ask God to redeem anything?
Pray with me?
“Dear God, we are amazed by your hand in our lives—the little details you so carefully ordain that lead to something so much bigger than us. Thank you for being our Ga’al, our eternal Kinsman-Redeemer but also for being our daily redeemer. Please open our minds and hearts to understand this concept in deeper ways. Thank you Jesus. Amen.”
Thoughts? Prayer needs? You can email me: wordsbyandylee@gmail.com or simply leave a comment.
Many blessings!
andy
ps. come back Wednesday for my momma’s famous Mississippi Mud Cake recipe!
God often does give us one word on which to meditate for a season. Thanks for sharing this. Now about that promised recipe–as a kid the word Mississippi was one of my favorite words I learned to spell. Maybe because it was a long word and I could impress my friends, or maybe because I could spell it in sort of a fun sing-song fashion, but for whatever reason I loved spelling the word. But now I have to admit I love eating it even more! Being on the recipe!
Funny…I had to ask Mike how to spell it! It’s a yummy recipe. Mom always made it for July 4th. Thanks for your comment.