Monday, February 25, 2013

Redemption

I've got another great blog post to share with you from our buddy Trent Culver. Hope you enjoy.

--Dan

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“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten." Joel 2: 25 25

A healthy rose bush has to be pruned. A healthy forest requires periodic burns. In order to thrive, life requires adversity. God, like a caring gardner uses adversity to shape and mold us. A forest fire is ugly, violent and destructive but vital to the prolonged health of the forest and the species that call it home. Death begets life. Similarly, our excesses are vetted in the fires of life. In the aftermath of destruction, God creates and God restores.

A forest fire causes seeds to germinate and returns nutrients to the soil. The new life born after the burn is far healthier. In the same way, our losses and pains provide the canvas on which God paints a masterpiece. In Christ a damaged marriage can be restored to a place of unknown beauty. In Christ, new value can be found in the midst of financial crisis. In Christ, previously conquered addictions give hope to the those still enslaved. Disease and death are the gateway to heaven. All of creation groans as in the pains of childbirth. This life, this world with all of its evil is a process towards an end, a re-birth.

It seems, our God builds and creates out of destruction. Our sun is a violent, unlivable and powerfully destructive place. However, at 93 million miles, its energy makes all life on earth possible.

The Bible is full of stories of redemption and restoration. Christ's birth, life, death and resurrection has given me new life and is the ultimate example of how our God functions.

Isn't the whole Bible a story of our redemption? Upon the fall of man, God could have hit reset, wiped the slate clean and started all over again. This however, is not God's way. Ever since the fall, God has been at the work of restoration. God is at work right now creating our eternal home.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4 

1 comment:

  1. The Redemption story is told from front to back of the bible! How blessed are we that HE planned it all.

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