How God Redeems the Things I've Died To

Ps. 40: 2-3  He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out from the bog and the mire . . . He has given me a new song to sing, of praises to our God. Now many will hear of the glorious things he did for me, and stand in awe before the Lord, and put their trust in him.

How God Redeems the Things I've Died To

Jesus, I had a dream last night in which I walked with you through the garden of my life. 

You didn’t mention my failures. Instead You walked with me and explained all the foliage we saw there represented portions of my life.

There were bluebonnets and buttercups you planted just for me to enjoy. And there were flowers I planted myself—prosperous azaleas, tender impatiens, and weeping willows.

I felt your nail-scarred hand take mine, and You silently led me up a hill to a shady space that emanated Holy. I was drawn to a dazzling group of meticulously cultivated flowers. Colors I only imagined in heaven. 

And they surrounded a grave. 

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It was the grave of a precious desire I had died to in my life. I was overcome with the otherworldly scent.  Roses, Jasmine, Gardenias—a Forget-me-not mixture of Gethsemane and Grace.

I fell to my knees and wept, reliving the pain. I felt your hand on my shoulder, and I looked up. Over the vast garden, I saw floral sections of rare beauty blanketing the greenness—all surrounding hundreds of graves. 

The grave of a life I had dreamed of. Graves of unanswered prayers. Graves of things I can’t undo.

In my distress I cried, “Lord, why did you bring me here to relive my sorrow?”

You didn’t say a word, but your gentle eyes spoke Compassion and Purpose. They spoke a promise of Redemption. Of Resurrection.

I woke up—and I understood. 

Christ’s resurrection is His vow to redeem our sorrows. Love and Grace reach down and transform Satan’s poison into perfume. 

With time, God transforms Despair into a New Song. A Song of rich minor chords that tell of brave fights and battlescars. 

It might be a song we don’t expect. A song we never prayed for. 

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It’s a melody infused with faith and tears. Its rare beauty reaches the ears of the King and touches His heart even more than those of the angels. No other song honors Him more than one birthed in the throes of spiritual warfare. 

If it weren’t for the battles, we would never know the Father as Healer. We would never understand the depth of His faithfulness. We would never live the promise “This is for good, not for evil. To give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11)

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Beauty from the Broken Places

There are still the questions Why. The Injustices. The If Onlys. But we can trust hands that have bled Love. Love that embraces us through our fiercest storm. 

Love that redeems the pain of our deepest grave. 

Jesus' Reply:

“My child, I remember the night you poured out your heart to Me, your end-of-the-rope Unbridled and Ugly. You lay face-down and gave your precious Dream to Me. You sacrificed your desires to Me.  

Now I seem very quiet to you. Unanswered prayers have painted a thick layer of cynicism over your faith, and you embrace Numb just to survive.

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Sorrow has become your friend, but that is not My will for you. You have carried it for too long. I do not want you to RELIVE your sorrow. I want to RELIEVE you of it. It is time for Me to bury your sorrow in the sepulcher of Hope.

I want you to see that a life surrendered to Me turns Graves into Glory.

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Rest assured, My beloved, I will create a New Song for you more beautiful than you ever imagined! 

But you must wait for the New Song because it takes time to weave the major and minor chords of your life into the masterpiece I desire for you.

As you wait, keep doing the right thing. Keep doing what glorifies Me. And most importantly, NEVER let go of My hand. If you ever doubt My methods in dealing with you, press your hand into my love-scar.

Come to Me for understanding. Bring Me the Why’s and If Only’s. Trust I know you completely and I see your hurt. 

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I promise I will Redeem. The. Pain.

I create Beauty from the tears of every desire surrendered, of every dream relinquished, of every loved one you release to Me. 

OF EVERY GRAVE.”