The LORD reclaimed you. Isaiah 44:24 (GWT)
It has been weeks since I read this verse but it is a verse that won’t leave my mind.
The LORD reclaimed you.
How do you feel when you read those words?
The LORD reclaimed you.
The next sentence in the scripture reads: He formed you in the womb.
There is nothing that gets me more excited that to be able to tell people they were chosen and created by the God of the universe. Not only that, you were destine for a specific purpose of great works (Ephesians 4).
You are not a mistake, a misfit, or a problem. You are an amazing miracle given to the world by God.
But if we don’t understand what it means to be reclaimed, we will never walk in the grace, the mercy, and the destiny that awaits us.
What does it mean to be reclaimed?
There are two definitions that are important.
RECLAIMED:
- Retrieve or recover (something previously lost, given, or paid); obtain the return of. To get back, claim back, redeem, regain, save, or rescue.
Immediately, I think of Jesus. God sent his son, Jesus for a specific purpose. Jesus came to find his lost children and reclaim them. It was His sacrifice and payment for my sin on the cross that gave me the opportunity to have a new life. I am saved, redeemed, rescued, reclaimed…by Jesus and Jesus alone. There is no condemnation in God’s reclaiming work. Only His love to remake someone whose potential had gotten tarnished by poor choices, selfishness, low self-esteem, disappointments, and broken relationships.
- Bring under cultivation.
In the reclaiming process my life is being cultivated as I become more like Jesus every day. The Bible is clear that when we surrender our lives to Jesus we are a new creation in Christ. The old is gone and we are made whole. Think of a butterfly escaping from the thick and suffocating layers of dust and dirt filled cocoon to fly beautiful and free showing the world her splendor. That is a beautiful picture of new life.
Unfortunately, even after giving my life to Christ, my human flesh, selfishness still exists. Some bad habits, God takes away immediately when we ask Him. Others we are left to be in utter dependence on the Holy Spirit to walk us through each day with success. The reclaiming work of Christ cannot be achieved alone. The apostle Paul said: “What your corrupt nature wants is contrary to what your spiritual nature wants, and what your spiritual nature wants is contrary to what your corrupt nature wants. They are opposed to each other. As a result, you don’t always do what you intend to do” (Galatians 5:17 GWT). This truth is why Paul taught the importance of praying continually for the council, wisdom, help, self-discipline, and power of the Holy Spirit. Along with the guide of the Holy Spirit, we need Bible study and community for accountability and encouragement for the cultivating process.
Did today’s blog leave you with more questions than answers? Maybe you are wondering if salvation is real. Or how God can be described as three people (Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit? Or maybe you would like a prayer partner to keep you accountable to the cultivating process you find yourself in right now. Where ever you are, it is a great place to start! Email me or comment below.
Our goal: A reclaimed life!!
What do you think?