Redemption By Brian Coates

1)  The action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil.

     "God’s plans for the redemption of his world”

      Synonyms: saving, freeing from sin, absolution “God’s redemption of his people”

 2)  The action of regaining or gaining possessions of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt.

      Synonyms: retrieval, recovery, reclamation, repossession, return

Over the weekend, I attended a rehearsal and a concert where the director taught and conducted a piece entitled “Redemption.”  He asked the students what the word meant and I began to wonder for myself.  I believe that most of us are familiar with the meaning of redemption that deals with salvation, as seen in definition #1.  What I want to focus on is the meaning of redemption as seen in definition #2.  A lot of times as Christians, we lose or sacrifice things in the name of following Christ.  We must know and remember, however, that the good things that we lost while following Christ will be redeemed. Joel 2:25-26 "And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.  And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed."

When I went to my band directors meeting this weekend, I saw several band directors with large bands who had several years of successful programs.  Then I began to look over my own career as a band director.  I thought about all of the years I have spent in places where the students did not want to learn or listen to what I had to say.  Then the Lord revealed to me that He was going to restore unto me all the years that I had lost as long as I keep trusting and believing and remain faithful to Him.

So I challenge you to look back over your life and apply the synonyms of redemption to your own situation.  Think about the things that God is going to retrieve, the things God is going to recover, the things that God is going to reclaim, the things God is going to repossess, and the things that God is going to return in your life.  You just have to have faith and watch Him do it!