My Redeemer Lives!

"But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,

and he will stand upon the earth at last.

And after my body has decayed,

yet in my body I will see God!

I will see him for myself.

Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.

I am overwhelmed at the thought!"

Job 19:25-27

Job admitted the reality: He was suffering at the hand of God.  In His sovereignty, God allowed the worst to come upon him.  And if that weren't enough, his friends accused, blamed and condemned, adding to his pain.  This man was deeply hurting.

Yet, Job had hope.

Redemption.  In a culture dominated by men, women held little value on their own and were quite vulnerable without a male to look after them.  Apart from a father, brother, son or husband, she had little hope of survival.  Therefore, the widow living in a foreign land needed a kinsman redeemer to take she and her mother-in-law under his wing, vowing to protect and care for them (Ruth 3-4).

Boaz, a relative of the widow's late husband, agrees to buy back his land and marry his widow, Ruth.  In so doing, he saves the life of she and her mother-in-law, giving her a family and a chance to live a beautiful life.  In this selfless act, Boaz saved Ruth from a hopeless existence.  

Jesus has done the same for me.  In my sin, I am destined for an eternity away from the God who loves me (Romans 6:23a).  In my sin, I am bound to do what comes naturally, plaguing my life with guilt, pain and torment (Galatians 5:19-21, Romans 6:19-20).  Thus, God sent Jesus to become sin for me, dying the death I deserved so that I can live the life He meant for me but never could attain on my own (2 Corinthians 5:21, John 10:10b).  Now I am redeemed through faith in Jesus Christ!

Through faith in Jesus Christ, I have the same hope of redemption that Job had in the midst of his darkest times.

Reign.  The world is broken.  This present darkness is not how God created it to be.  Instead of abundance, there is a spirit of famine and deficiency.  While He meant for peace to rule, chaos does instead.  Where once goodness dwelled, now darkness overwhelms.  It's hard to live in such a fallen state.

Thankfully, this is not all there is (1 Corinthians 15:19).  As one who has put her trust in Jesus, I have much to look forward to.  One day, God will restore His creation to its former glory (Revelation 21:1-4)!  Since everything I often hold so dear will one day burn, what would I be wise to hold as valuable?  The temporal, material stuff that often draws my eye, or the eternal, spiritual gifts?  It is easy to get caught up in this world, but since all the physical things I see around me will pass away, I'd better hang on to that which lasts forever (2 Peter 3:10-13).  Let me be found as faithful to Him when that day comes.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, I have the same hope of Christ's reign on earth that Job had in the midst of his darkest times (Revelation 20:6).

Reunited.  Face to face. This describes the kind of relationship Moses enjoyed with God.  He interacted with God like He was a friend (Exodus 33:11). Moses felt pretty close to God and enjoyed an intimate relationship with him.  As a result, Moses wanted to see God in all His glory.  Even so, the Lord told him he "may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live." (Exodus 33:20)

Yet we have hope to one day see God through His Son, Jesus Christ, dwelling with Him forever (John 1:18, 14:1-4)!  As I enter into my eternal home, things will be as they should be, all suffering will be gone, death will be no more, and my tears will be wiped away by a God who is not far away but lives among His people (Revelation 21:3-4).  This can keep me going when life here is unbearable.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, I have the same hope of being reunited with the God who loves me that Job had in the midst of his darkest times.

I suffer much as I live in this fallen world.  When I'm facing hardship, I can hang onto the same hope Job clung to, that he would be redeemed, Christ would reign on earth, and he would then be reunited with the God who made it all possible.  In these ways I can say even in the darkest times, I know that my Redeemer lives, and what a difference that makes to me!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep my eyes on Jesus, my only hope.

When do I fall into despair, thinking all hope is lost?

How am I clinging to fear instead of grabbing onto the hope I have in Christ?