Redeemed
(By Rachel T Joyce)
Redeemed.
This word is etched at the top of my dad’s gravestone.
I went there a few weeks ago to pour out my grief to God and receive His comfort and strength. The sun’s heat warmed my face as tears made their way down my cheeks. A soft breeze blew my hair and kept the temperature bearable as I spent time with God, letting Him pour His love on me and experiencing the comfort of His presence.
The sky was extraordinarily blue, the clouds so puffy and white. And my heart felt wrung with grief as I wept before the Lord.
Redeemed: that’s what my dad was. What he is. God has taken all the past, cleansed it by the blood of Jesus, and redeemed it all.
Merriam-Webster defines redeemed as “to buy back, to free from captivity by payment of ransom, to release from blame or debt.” My dad experienced redemption from sin when he trusted Jesus as a boy.
But we need God’s redeeming power in our lives every single day. We need to know His presence with us, the joy of communion with Him, the peace of His Spirit guiding us, the rest of knowing He is working all things for good. This is our inheritance as His children.
What a joy it is to know that our God is a God of redemption! He bought us from the slave market of sin. He made us new creations by His power and grace. And He equips and enables us to fulfill His will for our lives.
What a God we serve!
My dad cared for others; he wanted to see them follow Jesus and live for Him. I’m so thankful that God redeemed his soul and also redeemed his life as well.
Our God is the great Redeemer. He frees the captives, makes all things new. We can trust Him to work powerfully in our lives so that all can be for our blessing and His glory.
Praise God, our Redeemer, who redeems our lives.
As I stood before my dad’s gravestone, I found myself looking again at that one word: Redeemed.
Through my tears, it became more than a word etched in stone. It became a testimony to the faithfulness of God. My dad was redeemed, his life was redeemed, and one day even this grief will be redeemed.
Until then, I will hold fast to the One who bought me with His blood, walks with me through every sorrow, and redeems even the broken places for His glory. Our God is the great Redeemer, the One who holds us close and weaves our lives together, making everything new.
Praise God, our great Redeemer!
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