This is Redemption
On November 26th, 2017, I had the opportunity to speak at the St. Peters campus of my church Twin Rivers. I always love the chance to speak to people about Jesus, but this day was extra special for me. This day was a day I got to experience God’s redemption.
Psalm 103:2,4 Bless the Lord, O my soul… who REDEEMS your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy!
I got to live out this verse on this day. I saw how God literally pulled my life out of a pit and gave me purpose! In March of 2001, literally less than a ½ mile from the church I was speaking at, I tried to kill myself. I always battled depression and that night, I tried to kill myself by ramming my car into a light pole. It was the worst and most difficult night of my life. To read that full story you can click HERE.
Sixteen years passed from March 2001 to November 2017. Sixteen years where God was at work. God was in the process of redeeming my life and redeeming my story. That awful day in March 2001 wouldn’t be my last… it actually became part of my legacy. A legacy that now includes overcoming depression and suicide by God’s grace.
Acts 10:34 says, ...I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.
This verse teaches us that what God did for me, He can do for you. If God redeemed my life, He can redeem yours. So let’s talk about redemption for a minute.
#1 God loves a challenge.
I think God loves a challenge. God loves proving the impossible is possible. He loves turning situations around. He loves redeeming people! There’s never a situation that God can’t turn around. You’re never too far that He can’t reach you. You’ve never done something so bad that He can’t pull you out of it. He’s in the business of redemption. I’m not sure where you are in life, but I know this to be true, where you are doesn’t have to be where you end up. I was literally dying on the ground of a 7-11 parking lot sixteen years ago. By my own choice and because of my “impossible” obstacles. Try giving God YOUR impossibilities and mess and see if He won’t accept the challenge and prove that He’s able to redeem you too.
#2 God takes what the enemy meant for harm and uses it for good.
When you see things from God’s perspective, it changes things completely. Sometimes, it appears as though the plan of the enemy is prevailing in our lives. It looks like we’re far from God and his plan. While that may be the case for the moment, that doesn’t have to be the end of the story. God can literally take what the devil meant to kill you and use it to bring you and others to Himself. God can use anything and bring good from it. I’ve seen Him do this in my life and the lives of so many others. Don’t allow the current battle you’re facing keep you from the God who can turn it all around!
#3 God can take pain and turn it into your purpose.
If you would have asked me the months before or after my attempted suicide if I would end up being a pastor and helping people, I would have said you’re crazy! I had no desire to help anyone. I was self-absorbed and didn’t really care about anyone else. All I could see was my own pain and I wasn’t focused on anyone else. But on November 26th, 2017, I saw just how true it is that God take pain and turn it into purpose. Before speaking at my church that morning, I sat in the parking lot of where I tried to kill myself and just cried. I was reminded of just how far I had come. God had redeemed my life. He had taken my pain and used it to give my life purpose. If God can redeem my life, He can redeem yours. He can take you out of the pit you’re in and turn your life into something incredible. Take a step today toward God and He’ll come running! Let Him redeem your life!