Friday, December 7, 2007

A thought (or two) for the day

Psalms 107: 7 Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.

Normally I am a NKJV girl. I like the sound, I have memorized many verses in this translation and so it just sounds more like the Bible to me. I have recently began to take my Bible Study a little deeper and explore other translations of verses and the Lord has opened my eyes and spoke to my soul so much through this. I use to think you had to pick a team and stay on it. KJV, NIV, AMP etc etc. I am thinking now it is more like a team of players and the game goes a lot smoother if you can utilize each version at different times or even better cross reference and use them all together.
Today was a good example. In Psalms 107:7 I love that the NIV's translation says FULL redemption. Meaning to the top, complete, all the way around. We are not talking about salvation. Of, course that is full, we are talking redemption from sin.

How may times does something in our life go wrong and we hear a preacher's voice in our head say ,"Your reaping what you sow". That verse in Galatians Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. KJV is true, yes you will reap corruption if you live of your flesh, but those of us who are saved are not of flesh, but of spirit and those verses say the spirit reaps life everlasting! Funny how that part doesn't stick in our head as well does it??

Full redemption! Life Victorious! So why do so many Christians live with their head down waiting for the hammer to drop on them because of all those past sins that are just waiting to catch up with them?
How much more joy would we, as Christians, have in our life if we would grasp the fact that bad things do not happen to Christians just because God is punishing us? He doesn't want us to live under that type of pressure and hopelessness, (cause let's face it, we all sin, so if that is the case, we all are waiting for that hammer to drop). I do know a certain enemy of the body of Christ that would love for us to live that defeated life.

One of my very favorite verses in Jeremiah took on a whole different light this morning as I read it in the Holman Christian Standard Version. Jeremiah 29:11 -14

For I know the plans I have for you this is the LORD's declaration plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you the LORD's declaration and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you the LORD's declaration. I will restore you to the place I deported you from.

Ever feel deported? I have. Remember His promise is to restore us because His redemption is full. Below is a quote from the Beth Moore Bible Study I am doing right now.

"Allowed to do so through our confession, invitation and cooperation, God can restore our identity, our purity and our sanity! He not only diffuses our past of all power to harm and haunt us but HE infuses it with power to help others. Redemption is incomplete if our negative past is only diffused. Satan won't be completely sorry and God won't get all the glory until the bad is used for good."

Live victorious .....your redemption is full.

1 comments:

*Heather said...

Such a wonderful post Jackie! It is always a great thing to be reminded of the promises He has for us...thanks for sharing your heart! ;)