You Were Redeemed

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

(1 Peter 1:18-19)

Meditation

I was a captive to sin and a prisoner of worldliness before I surrendered to Christ Jesus. It was bondage to sin, and I chose to remain there. All I wanted was happiness. I thought happiness was all about me, and involved promiscuous sex, drugs, and alcohol at the next party I was going to. I chased the things I thought would make me happy like a carnivore chasing its prey. I was relentless and I had moments of shallow happiness, but those feelings never lasted very long. Like a person suffering from insanity, I would do the exact same things the next chance I got. It was like running on a treadmill. I was running hard but getting nowhere.

After I got married, I was always monogamous and stopped doing all of the party drugs I did when I was single. However, I still thought I needed booze to have a good time. I thought I needed to be, at least, a slightly inebriated to have any fun at a party. I just couldn’t stop at slightly. I’d drink until I was a stumbling drunk. By the next hungover morning I was right back to where I started. I felt empty; still searching for something I couldn’t even fully describe. I finally realized I was chasing after empty contentment. However, I wouldn’t have known what it was if I fell over it in the street. More than likely you could say I was suffering from depression, and self-medicating with booze.

Because I was relying on someone else to make me happy and not living up to my end of the bargain, my marriage suffered and finally ended. Fortunately for me, I was invited to a crusade meeting. I didn’t really want to go but I thought I might get more justification for my atheist lifestyle. I was about as low as I could get and the Holy Spirit broke through my stony heart. I met my God and Savior that night and I’ve never looked back. God offered me a different fulfillment; one that lasts forever. He offered to pay the ransom from my bondage to sin. All I had to do was reach out and accept his free offer. The blood of Jesus set me free and gave me a new life and purpose for living. I now live to serve Christ and everyone else, not myself. Now, that’s what makes me really happy! 

Daily Prayer

Father God, you have made all things good. It is only the sin of mankind that brought decay to your masterpiece. We are the progeny of the first man, Adam, and all have inherited the propensity to sin from him. You provided the path for our redemption with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Thank you, God, for paying that horrible price. We cannot purchase our way to heaven with silver or gold, nor can we do acts of service to earn deliverance. Jesus is our only hope for salvation; there is no other name we can call on to be saved. Help us to cast the seeds of your gospel to the unbelieving world around us. We pray, Lord, that you will soften the hearts of our family and friends who have not been washed in the precious blood of Christ. Give us the loving boldness to share the gospel of Jesus with the people who are important to us. In his name, we pray. Amen!