Messengers of the GospelSýnishorn

Psalm 111: Timeless Redemption

“He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever—holy and awesome is his name.” (Psalm 111:9 NIV84)

Redemption. Pause for a moment and say the word slowly. Re—demp—tion. It is one of the most profound words in all of Scripture. Say it again and allow the word to echo in your heart for a moment.

Redemption means to be redeemed, rescued, or restored by God Himself. Redemptive moments were life-changing moments for the Psalmist. When he thought of them, he paused and said, “…holy and awesome is his name”. The redemption of God is far more majestic, glorious, and eternal than our language can explain or define. If you were asked to pick one word, only one word, that would represent the heart of God for His people, what word would you pick?

I hope redemption is a word you would consider.

Notice that the Psalmist could not mention the word redemption without mentioning the word covenant. In the Bible, redemption and covenant are like spiritual siblings. They are like brothers and sisters in God’s redemptive plan for His children. Repeatedly, because of the covenant He provided to the Israelites, God intervened in their lives to demonstrate His redemptive love for them.

These divine words, redemption and covenant, extend beyond centuries, millennia, generations, and kingdoms. They stretch from the first time Adam and Eve experienced them and will outlast the last human born. They are words that represent the sovereign love and grace of God. When they flow from the heart of God, they know no defeat. These words represent God’s capacity to change the course of the brokenhearted and encourage the saddest of hearts. They can resurrect the hopes and dreams of a shattered past, a marriage thought to have been destroyed, and a family that has been decimated by the cruelest of moments. Additionally, they represent the guarantee of God for an eternal future beyond imagination.

Why? Because the Lord, the One True God, is the provider of our redemption and is compelled by His love for us to fulfill the covenant He established.

Friend, verse nine is ageless. It looks backward (He ordained) and forward (forever). The Psalmist, the people of Israel, you, and I exist within the truth of this ageless verse. It was written 1,000 years before the birth, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, yet the Psalmist in his day knew Him, as we can in ours, as the covenant-keeping redemptive God.

Take a moment and reflect upon the many times God has poured out His redemptive love upon you. Think back to the moment you experienced God's redemptive grace for the very first time. Every blessing you have ever experienced began with that moment. As you think of those moments, say to the Lord, “Holy and awesome is your name.” Or maybe you are in need of God’s redemptive love? If so, turn verse nine into a personal prayer. Ask the Lord to demonstrate His covenant-keeping redemptive love for you. Then, in faith, declare, “Holy and awesome is his name.”

Reflection:

What is something in your life right now that needs to be redeemed, rescued, or restored by God Himself?

Bring this before Him today in prayer. If you are doing this plan with a group, ask them to join you in prayer as well.