Restore and Redeem 7-23-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, my heavenly Father. Good morning, Holy Spirit. ... "Then God said to (Abimelech) in a dream, 'Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart; furthermore it was I who kept you from sinning against Me. I did not let you touch her. Now then, return the man's wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all that are yours'.... Then Abimelech ... restored (Abraham's) wife Sarah to him" (Genesis 20:6-14). Your will was to restore Abraham and Sarah's marriage and redeem their sins that caused their separation (v.5). Your heart is always to restore and redeem. You want to restore us -- making us whole, bringing our lives back in to Your created order in the ways they were meant to be, as we release them into Your hands. You want to redeem us -- taking all that we encounter and endure, whether at our own hands or the hands of others, causing Your good to come out of all things we entrust to You. So whether You restore or redeem, our part is to willingly choose by the grace You give to entrust all things into Your care and release them into Your hands. And while You give us free will, You are also actively at work in our world to influence our wills to lead us in Your ways. Abraham and Sarah willingly lied about their marriage to King Abimelech, and Abimelech willing "sent and took Sarah" (v. 2). Those were their choices of their own free will, despite Your will for their lives. Yet at the same time, You moved upon Abimelech's heart, keeping him from dishonoring Sarah and from sinning against You. But even then, You allowed Abimelech to make the right choice out of his own free will to return Abraham's wife to him or not -- with clear consequences for his choice (v. 7). In the mystery of Your sovereignty and of our free will, You are always at work in our lives to lead us to make right choices in agreement and alignment with Your will. And You are always at work in our lives to restore and redeem the wrong choices that are made, if we humbly and faithfully give our lives over to You. Lord, lead me to make right choices today. Align my mind with Your thoughts and my heart with Your desires. I willingly give You permission, if that is needed, to sovereignly bring my will into agreement with Your will. And where I have made wrong choices or the wrong choices of others influence me, would You come in the power of Your love to restore and redeem. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I entrust all the things of my life into Your care and release them into Your hands. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'm really excited about my new book on healing, Free to Be Like Jesus. You can order it from www.amazon.com or through any Christian bookstore or from our Online ministry resource center: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org , where all proceeds go to support the vision and calling of our ministry. I'd love to hear your feedback. I tried to include many real-life experiences, testimonies, and sample prayers along with biblically-balanced teaching on Christian healing ministry. This book puts into words much of what I've learned in these first 12 years of healing prayer ministry, and I'd love to share it with you. God bless you and thank you for your prayers for me to get this book published and available. Subscribe by email to me at Messiah Ministries --MessiahMin@aol.com-- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www।messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Devotional Archives at: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com Dell Deals: Treat yourself to a sweet deal on popular laptops!