redeeMEd

There is a certain freedom about just cruising the open road, isn't there? I know for myself, whenever I'm frustrated or I need to think I jump in the car and just go for a drive.  Even on road trips, just a view of the open road inspires a little smile.  Sometimes there is that little thrill a person can get at the 'not-knowing'.  Its almost intoxicating to think about where I was just 5 years ago, compared to where I'm at now. I'm in the most unlikely of places to anyone that knew me then.

Sometimes I think about what it was like for Paul.  Before Paul, there was this fellow known by the name Saul of Tarsus.  If you were a Christian at this time, this name ran chills up your spine.  It says in Acts 8 that Saul went everywhere to destroy the church.  He would go from house to house to throw Christians in prison. He was known for slaughtering the followers of Christ. So for me, when thinking about Paul/Saul, it just shows how strategic of a plan God had.  From the beginning to the end of Acts 9, Paul goes from eager to kill the Lord's followers to eager to deliver the Lord's Word.  The cool thing about this was that this man's words carried weight.  When one who was oppose suddenly stands up for something, people start to listen.

Paul carried on this road that God called him, by name for.  Through this time do you think Paul ever forgot where he came from? So why are we so eager to forget our past? In this life we get one journey and we are on one road and the birth and the death are connected by life in between even if you try and forget the bumpy patch you went through.  Going through 'hell' is terrible and we want to forget, but how do we appreciate the present and look toward the future without knowing where we've been?

1 Chronicles 16-
"⁸ Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; 

   make known among the nations what he has done. 
⁹ Sing to him, sing praise to him;
   tell of all his wonderful acts. 
¹⁰ Glory in his holy name;
   let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
¹¹ Look to the LORD and his strength;
   seek his face always.
¹² Remember the wonders he has done,

   his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, ¹³ you his servants, the descendants of Israel,
   his chosen ones, the children of Jacob. ¹⁴ He is the LORD our God;
   his judgments are in all the earth."

Through our praise we must remember all the junk we've been through.  We must be able to remember the past in order to fully embrace our future.  At the same time, we CANNOT let our past define us.  We need to remember that through Christ, like Saul, we can be redeemed.  That there is forgiveness for those who seek it.  That there is a plan and God is calling YOU and ME by name. Paul was conscious of his past but was never defined by it. 

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." - John F. Kennedy

One of the definitions of the word redeemed, according to dictionary.com, 'to set free; rescue or ransom'. Remember that you have been purchased at the highest price.  Perfection took the place for you sin. Ephesians 1:7-10-

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth."

Remember what is in the middle of the word redeemed.  He has redeemed you. Just say it, "He has redeemed me! In His eyes I am worth it all!"... you are redeeMEd.