Redeemed.

Posted by Alysun


Read: Psalm 130

The cruelest world

The coldest heart

The deepest wound

The endless dark

The lonely ache

The burning tears

The bitter nights

The wasted years

Life breaks and falls apart

But we know these are

Places where grace is soon to be so amazing

It may be unfulfilled

It may be unrestored

But when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord

Just watch and see

It will not be unredeemed

These are the opening words to a favorite song of mine by Selah. The song is able to aptly portray human suffering and how it does, even in the darkest night, have meaning. To be redeemed by the only one who knows all the answers.

For every choice that led to shame

And all the love that never came

For every vow that someone broke

And every lie that gave up hope

We live in the shadow of the fall

But the cross says these are all

Places where grace is soon to be so amazing

It may be unfulfilled

It may be unrestored

But when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord

Just watch and see

It will not be unredeemed

Places where grace is soon to be so amazing

It may be unfulfilled

It may be unrestored

But you never know the miracle the Father has in store

Just watch and see

It will not be

Just watch and see

It will not be unredeemed

Reading the lyrics or even hearing them, we all go to a memory or even many memories, that make us cringe. The flash of the memory is disturbing, like the putrid smell of burned eggs. It's there infiltrating our senses and we want to run and hide. Whether it is choices we made that were wrong. Or worse, by no choice of our own, disgusting, terrible, difficult, scaring, and painful things happened to us. Still the thought is, "What purpose did it have?"

"And he has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness,' Most glady, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

The writer who waxed poetic and said, "Most gladly" while boasting about weakness, insults, distress, and persecutions, wrote these words while in prison. He had previously been beaten and stoned -- he knew something about human suffering. He didn't know the end result would be letters that now hold a sacred place in our Holy Bible. That Believers for centuries to come would be encouraged by his life. He  simply, and not so simply, lived his life for Christ.



It would be wonderful to have the answers to our own issues wrapped up and presented in a neat box. In most cases, we won't know the end on this side of heaven. We know forgiveness. We know blessings. We know healing. Yet still, memories can haunt. How difficult it is to rest in the knowledge that "when I am weak, then I am strong."



We can take comfort, the peace of God surpasses all comprehension: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."(Phil. 4:7).