Our Redemptive King

                                            

                                              Our Redemptive King

The ring had been very important to her. An oval dark blue sapphire surrounded by many little diamonds.She still loved it though it was a painful reminder of her broken past.Shame and Guilt paid visits to her frequently- deterring her from wearing it. And besides, she needed money.

In her mind, there was  no option but to make an uncomfortable visit to the pawnbrokers. The  churning of her gut made her feel sick but there was no going back. As she handed over that ring, she knew there was no guarantee she would ever find the money to redeem it.

With one quick glance, the man with dirty fingernails approved of the small loan. He told her what it would cost to redeem it and the date on which he would put it up for sale. She had  a 2 week window.

Guilt and Shame followed her out the door as she held the paltry sum of money. How could she leave her beautiful ring in the hands of a stranger with dirty fingernails- who cared nothing for the ring, its value and the story behind it?   Where was she going to get the money from to redeem it back?

Maybe this 2018 has not been your best year. Maybe you have traded something of great value for a song- only to never get it back or redeem the situation somehow.

 However, just maybe, you  DID  realise the value of that situation and you were able to-  with God's help- to redeem it back. It came at a very high price but you were willing to pay whatever it took to redeem it.  Something happened in the transaction....

                                     You saw the true value of what you gave away.

Isaiah 43 verse 18: Forget the former things; do not dwell in the past. verse 19: See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

The comfort of this verse is about forgetting and not dwelling in the past. In verse 19 we see that God is definite about what He is going to do with the future and our messy situations.  His language is confident!                                             He is our Redemptive King!!

 He who knows all about us, can do much with our broken hearts and our stupid choices. He can do much with a broken loaf and a few fish.

 In His redemptive power, He can redeem our lives from the pit and crown us with love and compassion- Psalm 103 verse 4

Handing over our valuables to a pawnbroker has a way of bringing our true values and beliefs to the fore. Handing over the broken pieces of our lives into the hands of our Redeemer has a far richer and greater return.

                   Our Redeeming King has paid the price to the pawnbrokers of our lives.

He places no time demands on us  or charges us an outrageous  percentage  of interest.

Ephesians 3 verse 20: Now to Him who  is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us....

1 Peter Chapter 1 verse 18: For you know it was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, verse 19 but with the  precious blood of Christ , a lamb without blemish or defect.

Getting back to our opening line, the price of getting the ring back from the pawnbroker was paid. Finding that money would have come at a great price as well but an even greater price would have been paid  had  she not made the effort to find the redemption money. The price of regret and more shame and the betrayal of her core values. However at that time, she did not know her Saviour or the fact that He is a Redemptive King.

                                

As the sun dips out of sight on Monday evening, may the New Year of 2019  herald in a  refreshing of your dreams, desires and hopes. May you meet up with your Redemptive King and thank Him for the ways he has redeemed you and your circumstances this year.

Lorraine Goulton lives in Masterton, New Zealand.

She works as a Specialty Clinical Nurse 4 days a week.

but would prefer to be retired....

She also manages Granny's Kitchen on Face Book and is a Support Coordinator with Crisis Pregnancy Support - Wairarapa

Pictured with 3 of her 6 granddaughters  on Christmas Eve 2018