I Am Redeemed: A Six-Week Study on Redemption, Grace, and Freedom

By Deron Boyer

What the devil intended for harm, God can use for good. Your bruises, wounds, and scars are not wasted. He has a plan for you. A plan to bless and prosper you. The only hang-up is you! What would you say if I told you that today could be the day of your redemption? Regardless what you have been through. Regardless what you have done. Regardless how far you have drifted, or how long you have been gone. Take heart! God still loves you. He isn't angry with you-he loves you! Would you like to know the best part? He wants you back! The Bible tells us that God misses you. He grieves over you. And he is willing to do whatever it takes to get you back. He simply waits for your reply. I Am Redeemed is a six-week study into the heart of God. Whether you use this book for individual or group study, I applaud you for simply reaching out by faith. Your redemption is within your grasp. God has already taken the first step. While we were still sinners, God sent his only son, Jesus, to be a sacrifice for your sins. In doing this, he showed all of creation the full extent of his love for us. It is your turn now. What will it be?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098036324

Book preview

Monday Reading

Ruth 1:1–22

I Am Bitter

Have you ever been angry with God? Have you ever felt like He didn’t hear your prayers or care about your sorrows? Maybe there have been times when you felt abandoned by God? From time to time, I have heard people say that it is sinful to get angry with God. Well, although I may understand the underlying principles of that statement, I doubt that I would ever consider myself a proponent of that mind-set. In fact, I have probably grown the most in those times when my weakness or brokenness has provoked an attitude of displeasure or disagreement with God. Just remember that our God is a very big God. He can handle our disapproval and our blame!

As you read through today’s Scriptures, I invite you to ponder this simple truth: God oftentimes uses famine to move His people from where they are, to where He wants them to be. Today’s story reveals that there was a tremendous famine in Israel. It was so bad that it provoked many, including Elimelech and Naomi, to move to Moab in order to find food and work. The text provokes the implicit question, If it were not for the famine, would Naomi have ever left the comforts of her own home to travel to an unknown land? What you may have already discovered in your own life is that in the absence of painfully severe, traumatic famines, whether literal or metaphorical, humans have a tendency to compromise, to settle for less than God’s best, and to rest in a spirt of complacency and contentment. Perhaps we have all learned that sometimes it is just easier to endure hardship than to uproot, move, and start all over again, which in many cases provokes additional hardship! But what if the famine intensifies?

Shortly after the move to Moab, we discover that Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, died, leaving her with the care of their two sons. Strike one. In fact, within a few short years, her son Mahlon also died. Strike two. And a short time later, her youngest and only remaining son, Kilion, also died, leaving her not only heartbroken but incredibly lonely. Strike three. Having been a pastor for nearly twenty-eight years, and having conducted countless funerals (at least twelve of which were children), I have often heard the words Losing a child is the worse pain a parent could ever go through. If those parents are correct, and losing a child is the worse pain any parent could ever be called on to endure, what does that say about Naomi’s spiritual, mental, and physical condition after having lost all three of the men in her life in such a short period of time? I cannot fathom the amount of hurt that she must have felt. I cannot imagine the amount of anger, fear, loneliness, or rejection that she must have experienced. And let us not forget that Naomi was hundreds of miles away from home!

I wonder, is it possible that some of Naomi’s anger or bitterness could be directed toward God? Listen to her own words: It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has gone out against me (v. 13) and Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter (v. 20), and again, The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me (v. 21). Yes, I think it is apparent that Naomi is crediting God for much of her pain and anguish. But please note: at no time does Naomi ever turn away from God! Much like a family member, just because you don’t see eye-to-eye on all matters doesn’t mean you can withdraw your membership and cease to be family! God will always be there for you. In His enduring patience, He waits for you to come home.

Psalm 103:8 reminds us, The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. When times get hard and your heart is overwhelmed by grief and heartache, remember that our God is a very big God and He can handle whatever you may be going through. All that He asks is that you draw near to Him so that He may comfort you. The prevailing theme throughout Scripture is Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28) and I will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5).

The point is that God cares deeply about you, and He is genuinely concerned about you. He wants you to call out to Him when you are hurt and when you are angry. Please hear that it is okay to get angry about your life or about your situation. It is okay to channel that anger toward God. Just be careful that you don’t allow resentment and bitterness to overtake you. Don’t let your pain reshape your image of God. He is bigger than your circumstances!

Naomi found herself going through yet another famine, this time more emotional and spiritual than physical, but significant all the same. In the midst of this famine, Naomi made the decision to return to her homeland. Thinking that she would make the trip alone, she must have been pleasantly shocked when her daughter-in-law, Ruth, vowed to make the trip with her. This sweet, devoted, and genuine woman refused to leave her side and forsaking all others, sacrificially committed herself to Naomi’s care and protection. And this is where the story takes a dramatic turn.

It turned out that Naomi had a kinsman redeemer in Bethlehem named Boaz. To make a long story short, Boaz showed favor to Ruth, falling in love with her, marrying her, and in actuality, redeeming her. A kinsman redeemer was a male relative who, according to Jewish custom and law, had the responsibility and privilege to provide care for another relative who was in trouble, despair, or legal need. By his grace and compassion, Boaz took in both women and by marrying Ruth put her in a position of great blessing. Within the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ, Ruth became forever enshrined as a direct descendent (Matt. 1:5)!

So did you catch it? Oftentimes, God uses famine to move us from where we are, to where He wants us to be. In this context, what this means is that God may have used the famines in Naomi’s life to get Ruth from where she was, to where He wanted her to be. If this is true, then isn’t it possible that Naomi’s pain and suffering had a purpose that far exceeded Naomi’s wildest dreams and imaginations? Isn’t it possible that God used Naomi to be an extension of His grace and mercy during a time of intense bitterness in order to bring redemption to this Moabite widow?

I have no idea what sort of losses or pain you have experienced in your life, but I do believe that God has a plan for you. I want to encourage you to do your best not to let pain, suffering, or brokenness define you or Him. Instead, seek to become a wounded healer for others. My prayer for you is that somehow and some way, God will turn your famines into success stories.

Tuesday Reading

Luke 1:5–25

I Am Old

My mentor, the late Rev. Herb McComas, used to remind me that pastors in the Lord’s army must always commit to a lifetime of service. He oftentimes boasted to me that there isn’t a retirement age for preachers, prophets, or missionaries! Herb not only talked the talk; he walked the walk, passing away at the ripe old age of eighty-nine years old. Just seven months before his passing, Herb made the trip from Winchester, Kentucky, to Peoria, Illinois, where he preached a four-day missionary conference in my church, and I assure you, the Lord’s anointing was upon him in power! After the fact, Herb informed me that doctors strenuously advised him to cancel the speaking engagement, being that his heart was only working at around 25 percent. Driven by love and commitment, Herb refused to let me down. That trip would turn out to be one of the leading causes of his death in 2007.

Luke the physician tells us the story of Zechariah, a priest from the tribe of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, a descendant of Aaron’s priestly lineage. He describes this blessed couple as being upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. What an amazing testimony from perhaps the most prolific of the Gospel writers. The only negative on Zechariah’s resume was the fact that he and Elizabeth never had a child (a fact that was about to change). Even in the earliest days of a seminary education, we are to understand that all priests want at least one chance to serve their people by being chosen to offer incense to the Lord in the inner chambers of the Holy Temple. Late in his ministry, that day finally came for Zechariah and he would surely have been excited about the opportunity.

The setting was perfect: the worshippers were gathered outside praying that God would accept their sacrifices, that Zechariah would find favor in the eyes of God, and that the nation of Israel would find yet another season of blessing and protection from Almighty God. He had prepared for this day for most of his adult life. When the day finally came, Zechariah made his way into the outer chamber first, then the inner chamber, prayerfully humbling himself with every step. Suddenly, something caught his attention out of his right periphery. It was an angel of the Lord! Startled and gripped with fear, Zechariah fell to the floor. The angel smiled and declared, Do not be afraid Zechariah, your prayer has been answered!

What prayer? he wondered. What are you talking about? The angel explained how the Lord was finally ready to bless him with a child after so many years of praying, fasting, and seeking. But then something very unusual happened: this upright man, this blameless servant of the Lord, this spiritually minded man of God, struggled to believe! How can I be sure of this? I am an old man… This is one of those interesting things that I so often talk about. I find it interesting that in the presence of the Lord’s angel, standing within the walls of the most sacred building in all of the world, Zechariah was incapacitated by his own physical and cognitive limitations. Did you hear what he said? I am old! Since when did that matter? He certainly wasn’t too old to be a priest, serving the holy of holies. He wasn’t too old to carry the incense into the inner chamber. We can assume that he wasn’t too old to enjoy a moment of intimacy with his wife, Elizabeth (Jesus was the only one immaculately conceived!). So why in the world would he ruin such an amazing moment by focusing on his own physical limitations, desires, or abilities? I love the angel’s reply to Zechariah’s I Am statement. I Am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God!

I have to ask. What limitations do you put on God? Now before you answer that question, remember that God calls every human being to three things: (1) Salvation, (2) Holiness, and (3) Vocation. Even though you may struggle to recall any time that the Lord has called you into His presence, I assure you it has happened! So how about it? What limitations have you put on God? Please indulge me as I share a short list of barriers that I have heard other brothers or sisters offer: I don’t know the Bible well enough, I am too busy, I am not the kind of person you want doing that, and my all-time favorite, My spouse won’t let me!

Please note: Gabriel’s message to Zechariah (and Elizabeth) was an answer to his own prayer! This should not have been something new to him. He prayed for it. The angel’s presence shouldn’t have startled him because he was a priest who walked blameless in the Lord’s sight. And besides, the worshippers were gathered, praying for him that something amazing would happen during his shift! Even still, Zechariah was unable to take the focus off of himself, and this brings us to yet another valuable lesson: Miracles seldom happen when our focus is stuck inwardly! Our eyes must forever be fixed upon our Lord.

If we define redemption as the act of restoring that which has been lost, damaged, or defiled by sin, then Zechariah’s error would have been trying to view God through the filters of his own human or sinful condition. The problem is that God will forever be bigger than our minds can ever fathom. Isaiah reminds us, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways (Isa. 55:8). We all need to do ourselves a big favor and quit trying to stuff God into a preconceived box with the intent to dictate what He is able to do, who He is able to do it through, and when He is able to do it. Let’s just assume that God is able to do whatever He wants! And when you consider that the filter by which all of God’s actions are carried out is deeply rooted in His perfect love, then how could we ever doubt Him?

I don’t know about you, but this story provokes a lot of questions in me. In what areas of my theology have I limited God? What filters do my prayers have to go through before penetrating the ears of God? Are there any outstanding prayers