Daily PresenceSample

During my Sophomore year of high school our basketball team was riding a 18-0 record and ranked first in the state in our class. Paola high school was set to be our toughest test yet, though we were confident we’d win… until Paul got hurt.

Paul was our leading scorer, rebounder, and best defensive player. He was nationally recruited with multiple D-1 opportunities in the future. He injured his hand in practice and was week-to-week, but there was no chance he’d be available for the game against Paola. We wound up losing to them in overtime, but afterward the feeling wasn’t defeat. On the contrary, our battle cry was, “Wait until we see you again in districts.” We knew without Paul we took them to overtime, with Paul we’d decimate them.

We did. With state tournament implications in play, we faced Paola in our conference championship and blew them out. I can still remember that feeling of taking a loss but knowing it wasn’t the final word.

I can’t think of a better way to summarize Isaiah 47-49. God’s people have taken a loss to Babylon. He tried over and over to bring them back to Him, but their unwillingness and utter rebelion left Him no choice. Though they now found themselves in captivity, you can almost hear God yelling from the bus leaving the clubhouse, “Just wait until the next time I see you!”

Two things jump off the pages as I read this passage: First, God can’t help but redeem His people. He makes it clear they don’t deserve it, but He can’t help but bring them back to Him. He’s a zealous, jealous, madly gracious God that desperately wants us. Even when we’re faithless, He remains faithful, He can’t deny Himself (2Tim2:13).

Second, God doesn’t redeem us for “us,” but for His glory. He wraps up His promise of redemption by declaring, “All the world will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.” Our redeemed, saved, grace-saturated souls are nothing more than a testimony of our glorious Lord. Remember that, because when it becomes about us we risk finding ourselves right back in the hands of our captors.

Celebrate redemption by giving God glory today!