Redeem…

Have you given today to the Lord friend?

This is something that God had been teaching me to do recently and it’s made so much difference to my days. I will tell God the things I feel I need to, or would like to do but then I tell Him that my day is all His to do with as He sees best and ask Him to use it for His glory.

It’s made my days so happy friends. I no longer get stressed when things don’t go to plan because I just think, ok, so that’s God wants me to be doing right now.

I woke up this morning with these words in my thoughts…

‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;’

This changes everything, when we do things for ourselves there’s no true joy but when we do everything cheerfully for God then there’s true joy in our days.

‘Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.’

Our days never have been ours, each of us and in particular God’s children are here for the pleasure and glory of God…

‘This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.’

Friends, how are we living our days? …

‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;’

Whatsoever – each and every thing, the whole of everything we do.

This word ‘heartily’ in the Greek is ‘ek psyche’ and also means breath of life, the vital force which animates the body.

Whatever we do, we are to give it our ALL, there’s no room for half heartedness in the true Christian’s life. And when we think about doing all heartily for God, that isn’t a doing out of duty or to earn anything, it should be an outpouring of our love to the One who gave His all to redeem us.

This doing doesn’t necessarily mean doing great things either, it’s cheerfully, willingly doing the next thing God gives us to do, for His glory. This may mean humbly and faithfully working hard each day right where God has placed you. It may mean staying quietly at home with your children, or you may be called into a time of rest, Friend, do it heartily for the Lord.

To redeem is ‘to pay a price to recover from the power of another.’ That description really made me stop and think.

How the devil wants our time to be spent selfishly, on anything that would distract us from God’s will and purpose for our life.

Will we let him friends or will we pay the price of self sacrifice to recover our time from the devil’s power, redeem our time and give it to the One who gave His life to redeem us?

Friends, if we truly love God let’s be laying our days down, giving them to the Lord, seeking His strength to do His will and walk in His way each hour of the day, redeeming our time for the One who redeemed us.

‘I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.’

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Col 3:23, Is 43:21, Eph 5:15-16 Col 3:23, Psalm 71:16

In Christian love,

Sharon x