Coming Back to the Topic of Redemption
I've strayed away from the theme of redemption a little bit lately. In the last few weeks, I have felt God lay some other topics on my heart that simply needed discussed. With that being said, we're here now, and I have a five-part series on redemption in store for you. I am going to do it in five different blog posts, with the fifth one including the conclusion of the teaching. Please be informed that these teachings are from my own interpretation of the scriptures, and how they have applied to my redemption story. These messages are solely my own, and all info provided to you has been taken directly from the Holy Bible and my own experiences/knowledge.
I have done some studying on Psalm 107 for quite some time, and while flipping through my Bible yesterday I stumbled upon the passage. I began to reread the marks and highlights I had made on the scripture and just knew it in my heart that I needed to put this message out there. Psalm 107 provides us with several examples of Gods merciful hand reaching out to redeem his people. Each example tells a different story of the paths we tend to go down and how He will redeem us if we turn towards him. My hope for you is that you may find yourself falling into one of these categories, and that you may be able to use that teaching as encouragement to turn towards God and seek your own redemption story.
"Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story-those he redeemed from the land of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south." Psalm 107:2-3
The Wanderer's
"Some wandered in dessert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle...for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things." Psalm 107:4-7 & 9 NIV.
Our first category of redemption can be found when we open our Bibles and turn to Psalm 107:4-9. This is the category I like to refer to as "The Wanderer's." If you fall into the category of a wanderer, then your life could take on the appearance of someone wandering aimlessly in the dessert with no one to guide you. Maybe you grew up in church, or at some point had someone that spoke truth to you, but never let it fully sink in. You never took what was being taught to you and ran with in. In turn, you have tried to take control of your own life. Now, you may find yourself wandering, wondering why things aren't going your way. Or even, why you're not seeing any good breaks. You're hungry and thirsty for something more in your life, but you're just not sure what.
You see, the problem with trying to maintain control over your own life is that it is completely impossible to do. When it's all said and done, that's something only God can do. We are incapable of such a task because are not omniscient, unlike God. He knows everything there is to know about your life. "Even the very hairs on your head are all numbered," Matthew 10:30 NIV." He knows you right down to the number of hairs on your head. So, if He knows details about you that even you don't know, then there's really no way anyone else could run your life any better; not even yourself.
We may find that we go through life thinking, "if I don't make this deadline, then my life is over," or "if I don't have a baby, or get married by this date, then I'm a failure." This thinking, though, can be extremely traumatizing because we are trying to hold ourselves to standards that just aren't attainable. Consequently, we may begin to feel burn-out at life and crave something more. This brings one of my favorite songs from my childhood to mind. I can remember when I was younger, and my mom bought the newest Sugarland CD on the market. My mom, sister and I would jam out to Sugarland like it was going out of style (in my opinion, it never did go out of style!). But my favorite song was titled, "Something More." In the 2004 hit, Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush belted out the lyrics that fit my description of a modern -day wanderer perfectly.
"Monday, hard to wake up
Fill my coffee cup, I'm out the door
Yeah, the freeway's standing still today
It's gonna make me late, and that's for sure
I'm running out of gas and out of time
Never gonna make it there by nine
There's gotta be something more
Gotta be more than this
I need a little less hard time
I need a little more bliss."
(Lyrics copied and pasted from azlyrics.com)
Our wandering could resemble the burn-out these lyrics portray. We might find ourselves in the midst of an endless cycle of bad breaks and we're approaching them with no faith. We are lost with no direction, dying for something more in this life than suffering. The good news is our redeemer lives (Job 19:25)! Sugarland was right when they said that there had to be more than this. There is an opportunity for things to become easier, and there is a way to live in bliss! All of these things are only possible, though, through the redeeming hand of God.
Redemption from Wandering
Though verse 5 says, "they were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away," (meaning they were wanting something more) we can find rest in verse 6, "then they cried out in their trouble, and he delivered them in their distress," and verse 9, "for he satisfies the thirsty, and fills the hungry with good things." To anyone who may find themselves wandering right now, there is something more out there. There is hope for you. You will never wander too far from God that he can't redeem you! He will offer you living water to drink, so that you may never be thirsty again. And He offers you His Word, so that you may never crave anything but Him. He will satisfy all of your needs.
In order to see the riches God has promised us, we have to stop trying to control our lives and give it to God. We mustn't bask in the bad breaks and the hard things in life, and trust that He's got this under control. God has a plan for your life... good plans at that! Jeremiah 29:11(NLT) shows us this when God says, "for I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and hope.' " When you try to control your life, you're limiting what God can do for you. God's plans are always going to be way better than the plans you have in mind. There is something more in life. There is bliss in store for you. Now, drink God's living water, and satisfy your hunger with His word. Let Him lead you to a city where you can settle (v.7) and give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and wonderful deeds (v.8)!
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
I want to pray for those who are wandering in life right now. Those who don't know that there is something more in life. That there is a power greater than us. A Heavenly power who has a good plan for us, a future, and hope. May those who are wandering find you and allow you to guide them to a city to settle in, so that you may satisfy their hunger and thirst. I pray that if there is anyone who is struggling to find you, then you may send them across my path and use me as an instrument to get them to you. Oh Lord, we sure do love you deeply!
In your Son's name we pray,
Amen
Note:
If there is anyone reading this that is in need of prayers, or you know of someone who is in need of prayers, please do not hesitate to reach out to me through the contact option. In fact, I want you to reach out to me for prayer requests. It is through the power or prayer that we find healing and peace through our Lord. Matthew 18:19-20 says, "Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for it, it will be done for them by my Father in Heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." God Bless!
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