Redemption Draweth Nigh

 

Redemption Draweth Nigh..I grew up singing this old hymn at church.

I had forgotten about it until yesterday. Yet boy did it ever come back to me in the corner of the worship center yesterday.

Redemption..the greatest gift of grace we have ever received.

Our Shoreline family has been reading through the Psalms this summer, and week by week, God continues to refresh, inspire, rebuke, and renew us in the truth of his redemption through the messy, chaotic life of David.

Boy can I relate.

Oh I’ve never committed adultery.

But I have sinned hugely against God. So many times I can’t count.

My guess is, so have you.

 One thing I realized yesterday, we are not alone.

Scores of people in our church family have responded with the same experience…..feeling far from God, restless, and hopeless……………..Until a BUT God moment arrives.

And for the repentant heart, it comes.

 Our own David- Dave Cross- shared his own story yesterday, recounting a time in ministry he was down for the count, a time when he thought God was finished with him and he, because of his own intentional sins, was so far from God while still engaged in the activity of ministry.  

 
6 years ago, that was me.

Nancy Hamilton.

Lover of God. Lover & networker of people. Talker, engager, the giver of Jesus to many.

Failed to seek God in the midst of serving God.

God used Dave’s broken heart yesterday to heal me.   

In the biggest mess of my life, that I –yes …I caused, I found God where I had not looked for him.

In the silence of my repentant heart.

My heart had been broken into a million pieces.

 I was a train wreck inside my put-together, seamless  & perfect façade.

I, like Dave, was on a downward spiral of poor decisions.

Yet because I thought I could handle it, I became my own God and God would not allow that.

It’s his glory he’s after- not mine.

He broke me down to build me back up. 

What he did for me, he WILL do for you.

What he did for Dave Cross, he WILL do for you.

Dave & I still don’t have it together most days.

Yet if you ask him, and you ask me, each day is a gift of grace and God has made a message of the mess we made of our lives.

As I was reminded yesterday, wherever you are in your journey, be reminded of these truths about redemption:

1.   Restoration starts with repentance.

2.   Acknowledgement of a confession of sin doesn’t always lead to true repentance.

 Sometimes it takes a while to get there. Be patient. Where’s your heart? Are you just afraid of getting caught? Or afraid of NOT?

3.   Repentance doesn’t necessarily mean immediate & complete healing.

 Repeat this- healing takes time. You aren’t over it in a day. Sometimes healing takes months, even years. (Yep, I’m in the years club)

4.   True restoration in Jesus always leads to more of Jesus.  

          You’ll find that Jesus is all you need when you discover that Jesus is all you have. He is enough.

Where in your life is God drawing you to true repentance?

Get on your knees and humbly ask. God is waiting to reveal that area to you in case you don't yet know. But my guess is, you probably already do.  

Redemption awaits you. Seize it today.

But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lord’s wrath until he pleads my case and upholds my cause. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness. Micah 7