30 Days of Thankfulness ~ Day 11 & 12 ~ Redeemer & Restorer

In order for something to be redeemed, it must have value. Something is only truly restored if it is found to be in the same or better condition as it began. Redemption happens in a single transaction. Restoration is something of a process - the time it takes determined by the restoration needed. Our God has done, and is doing both. 

Jesus, through His death on the cross, redeemed, once and for all, the life of every single man, woman and child for all of eternity. Why? Why would He subject Himself to the humiliation of putting on human flesh to then have his flesh torn to shreds? It was because of love, yes, this is true. Yet, it was so much more. God saw our value - we were priceless in His eyes and He saw us worthy of laying down His own life so that we might live. 

The day Jesus redeemed me, is the day my restoration began. The difficult task of restoring me is that I often will put a big dent in the work He has already done requiring Him to go deeper than before in the repair. The hope in the end, is that rather than the battered and worn, sin tarnished woman He died for, I will be the radiant, glowing and spotless Bride He has been waiting all this time for. 

My life is in constant restoration mode. I'm realizing now that the more I move with the work of His hands instead of against, the easier time I have of it and the less deep He has to go to work out the rough spots. Even when I do make it harder for Him, when I do damage to something He has restored over and over, He never uses a frustrated hand to continue the work - only one of tenderness and compassion. 

I'm so thankful He is not done with me yet.