Extravagant Redemption

A few months ago, I decided to pray daily for my wayward brother-in-law.

Then, about a week ago, God said, "Tori, I want you to pray that Chuck feels my love for him--that he would be drawn by my cords of loving kindness."

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness."  (Jer. 31:3)

And I said, "God, I don't want to." But God said "That's OK, do it anyway. It's what I want."

So I did. Every day.

Today, as I was preparing my D6 Kindergarten lesson about Joseph, God spoke again. His words were so powerful that I sobbed when I heard them.

The lesson said, "God not only redeemed Joseph out of these situations, He redeemed him extravagantly."

EXTRAVAGANTLY.

God said, "Tori, now I want you to pray that I will redeem Chuck extravagantly; that he would feel my extravagant, undeserved, unconditional love for him because I am a God of extravagant redemption."

And I cried. And then I said, "God, I don't want to." But God said "That's OK, do it anyway. It's what I want."

So I did. Right there. Today. And I will do it again tomorrow and the next day. I will keep on praying for Chuck's extravagant redemption until God tells me to pray something else.

God's plans trump all. What he wants to happen will. What I want to happen might not.

So, when he wants me to pray loving prayers for someone unlovely, I can do that for Him. He did that for me.

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)

God is faithful.

He is faithful to redeem our lives in ways that are more wonderful than we can imagine.

He sees the bigger picture.

I will trust Him.

I will obey even when I don't agree.

"For while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom 5:8)

And I will expect Him to act.

"I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD."

Psalm 40:1-3