Redemption
Redemption...In its
simplest thought, redemption is returning a thing to its former state. A man
sold into slavery is redeemed to his original freedom. A piece of ground lost to
debt is redeemed to its former owner. A criminal condemned to prison or even
death is redeemed to freedom and to life. A nation in subjection - or in
imminent danger of conquest - is redeemed to peace. A race fallen into the
wretchedness of sin and separation from God is redeemed to righteousness and
reconciliation.
Redemption...A
secondary, but not insignificant aspect of this wonderful thing is putting to
use that which is useless, broken, or unused. A shopper goes to the grocery to
buy - redeem - cans of green beans, loaves of bread, bunches of bananas, gallons
of milk...to take them from the uselessness of the shelves and place them into a
blessed state (as far as we are concerned) of usefulness. A treasure-hunter
works the yard sales and flea markets looking to redeem the unrecognized, or
maybe simply the unwanted. A farmer redeems unproductive land and reaps God's
harvest of produce...or even some wool! The upcycler, recycler, and reuser
redeems the used up, the worn out, the broken down, the cast off, often making
beautiful things out of the unbeautiful. And so God has
redeemed us and is redeeming us still. He is taking the used up, the worn out,
the broken down, and the cast off...and forming us for His particular purpose.
We reflect His work when we take what is not so useful and make
it useful...sometimes beautiful...reflecting the glory of God who created all
things and saw that it was very good. And that is what we
hope to be doing at Redeeming Acres in the joyful work of our little "pretend
farm."
Joyful work
indeed!
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