God Promises Redemption
Do you have a personal redemption story?
Verse of the Day
‘Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord , my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’
Today’s Devotional
What is redemption? And what does God’ promised redemption mean to you?
Redemption is deliverance or rescue. Redemption is paying off a debt. When something is redeemed, it is restored to its rightful place. All of this is what God is promising us.
This passage also mentions renewal. Renewal is something I long for. Feeling refreshed and not tired, feeling ready to take on the day. But have you ever noticed that our culture promotes the kind of busyness that leads to exhaustion, weariness, frustration and burnout? That leads me to believe that we are not called to follow the patterns of our culture, or any culture – because they are man made.
This verse describes a kind of renewal that comes from the satisfaction that I receive from God. This has been a struggle for me. I believe that I have been looking for satisfaction from my circumstances, and from the state of my emotions. As in, do I “FEEL” satisfied, peaceful and calm? Many times, that answer to that question is “no”.
God’s Word is trying to give me a different message. True satisfaction comes from God alone. It comes from praising the Almighty. It comes from remembering all the benefits of loving and serving God. It comes from trusting that God truly is in control. The benefits of serving God are many, but this verse specifically lists forgiveness, healing, redemption from our own personal captivity and the kind of love and compassion that we can wear proudly. When I focus on these beautiful gifts, and rest in God’s goodness, renewal is the outcome. So as I delight in God’s promised redemption, I am renewed.
I have a personal redemption story, and I remember my “pit” with a startling clarity. For me, this makes praise and adoration for God so very poignant. But still, I look to the wrong things sometimes for my satisfaction and contentment. This verse is reminding me to remember my pit, and look at how the power of a loving God saved me. His power transformed my life as soon as I was willing to ask for help. When I stop to really think about that, it takes the wind out of the sails of any discontent. It allows me to take a deep breath and know that God is in control and worthy of my praise in this exact moment. It reminds me that this too shall pass, and that my submission to the authority of God can only lead me to the best possible place for me.
Contentment and satisfaction in God come to me in a way that feels counterintuitive. I need to stop trying to fix things, and I need to praise. I need to remember how God has worked in my life in the past. I need to love and adore and worship God in the middle of my chaos. I need to trust that He is guiding me through the growth process. I need to remind myself of the goodness of God. When I can learn to be satisfied in God’s authority, that’s when renewal comes to my body and my soul.
God’s promise for redemption is not just for our eternal life, after our earthly bodies have died. God can redeem our lives today. It will require that we partner with Him. It will require that we set down the things that are comfortable and whatever is keeping us in the “pit”. As we invite God to redeem any place in our lives where we are in bondage, He promises that He will crown us with love and compassion.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How can you thank God for the benefits you have in your relationship with him?
How can you thank Him for forgiveness and healing?
Write down your own redemption story, or a piece of it, so that you will remember.
How can you embrace the love and compassion of God today?
How can you praise the Almighty God today?