24 Days to Reflect on God's Heart for Redemptionنموونە

What do I mean by redemption?

Left to ourselves, we tend to find our own way to life without meaning, no sense of direction, life without hope, maybe even the belief that suicide is the best answer, and very few happy moments in between. We allow what was intended to harm us, to kill us, to kill joy, happiness, a sense of meaning, direction, and purpose because, in and of ourselves, we are powerless to fix our lives, to find meaning and purpose. If you are like me, I’ve needed my life and the lives of those around me to be fixed.

I’ve needed healing from the bumps and bruises of life. I’ve faced devastation, failure, depression, and have been on the edge of no hope. I have a craving for meaning and purpose. I want to know how, why, and if my life matters. I want to know if there is a reason why I was put on the planet beyond survival and success. I think redemption has something to do with the answer I seek. I think Jesus, the Redeemer of our lives, holds the answer.

Redemption is God’s movement in history to rescue individuals from the dominion of darkness into the realm of the Kingdom of Jesus, his Son. Our redemption speaks primarily to our need for forgiveness and restoration through a right relationship with God, but our redemption also has the potential to radically transform everything about us - our purpose, our meaning, our future, our families, our communities, and our world.

Reflection question:

• How might the theme of this devotion inform the way you pray?