Stories of redemption give us hope. In each life story, we may see pieces of our own lives. We witness the hope of redemption and the goodness of God’s grace, love, and mercy. And we remember that His redemption is available to each of us who love Him and surrender our lives to Him.

Stories of Redemption That Will Give You Hope: The Series

Are you ready to be encouraged? To once again have hope in the middle of a complicated or painful situation? Do you need a reminder that no matter what you’ve gone through or may be going through, hope and joy are possible again? Life is complicated. Sorrow and pain are inevitable. But by taking both the hand of God and steps toward healthy living, you will once again experience joy.

God promises redemption. He promises restoration. He will restore what has been lost or taken from you.

This series features the stories of women who have experienced loss and heartache yet have also experienced restoration and redemption. Join me for all the series details at the end of this post, but for now, let’s dig into what redemption is. In particular what God’s redemption looks like.

What is Biblical Redemption?

Redemption comes from the Latin word, redimere. Red(i) means back and mere means buy. So, literally translated means to buy back. A worldly example of redemption would be to redeem a voucher or ticket. But Biblical redemption is so much more.

Redemption for When We Sin

God redeems us when we have sinned. Sin separates us from God. Because God is a holy and perfect God, He does not have sin. So, if we knowingly sin we cannot be in good relationship with Him without repentance and His purposeful decision to forgive us again and again.

Think of a close relationship you may have right now. Could that relationship be strong if you continually hurt that person, lied to them, or betrayed them? Would your hearts be in sync in this situation? Of course not! It is the same with God. We cannot be intimate with Him if we aren’t trying to live well by Him.

Yet, in His deep love for us, He knew we needed redemption because our propensity to sin is too great. So, He gave His only son as that sacrifice for our sins. Yes, we must still turn our faces to Him and repent for our mistakes … our sins. But because of the ultimate Sacrifice, Jesus, we can know that we are forgiven. We are restored, blessed, honored, and redeemed.

Redemption for When We’ve Been Hurt

God’s redemption is also for the things we have lost in this world. Whether it is our innocence, a loved one, a relationship, a job, or material things, God steps in on our behalf. He fights for us and He works all things together for the good of those who love Him.

This means that even though we suffer now and whatever happened is horribly unfair and unjust, we can know that we will find joy and hope once again. God takes the good and the bad of our lives and He weaves them together into something that we can once again call good. It doesn’t mean we will get everything back the same. Nor does it mean everything will go as we once planned. But it does mean there will be good in our lives again.

When I wrote my book, Surrendered Hearts, I shared how this truth worked out in our lives. It is part of my story of redemption. Our adoption didn’t go as planned. Our lives look nothing like I dreamed they would look. But in all the weeping, I have found joy once again. It’s not the joy I envisioned, but it is a joy that’s been chiseled out of the fire. And I believe it’s a more profound joy today. A more profound sense of hope because of the story we have lived and continue to live out.

This redemption is available to you, too. If you turn to Jesus, He will work all things together for the good and He will bring joy in the morning after a long season of dark nights.

For a deeper understanding of God’s redemption, I love this article by Chip Ingram titled, 5 Significant Things Found In Each of God’s Redemption Stories.

Joseph’s Story of Redemption in the Bible

One of my favorite stories of redemption in the Bible is that of Joseph in the Old Testament. His story is told in Genesis 37-50.

Joseph was his father, Jacob’s, favorite son. Joseph wasn’t humble about this as a young boy and triggered his already jealous siblings by telling them God said someday the brother’s sheaves of grain would bow down to his sheave of grain. They were angry with him and believed him to be saying they would someday bow down to him. Then, he did it again. He relayed the dream God sent to him where the sun and the moon and 11 stars were bowing down to him. Even his father rebuked him this time!

The brothers devised a plan to get rid of Joseph. They stripped Joseph of his beautiful robe and threw him into a deep hole in the ground. After deciding they didn’t want to kill him, they sold him to some Midianite merchants who brought him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, one of the Pharaoh’s officials. The brothers then dipped Joseph’s robe in goat’s blood and told their father wild animals had killed and eaten Joseph.

Imagine Joseph at this time. Betrayed … hated so deeply by his own brothers. Now he’d lost everything and had been sold into slavery. To the human eye, there was no sign of hope.

But God.

God was with Joseph and worked all things together for good. His story of redemption is powerful. Joseph goes on to experience success, more betrayal, and then the ultimate overcoming of all adversity. His dream does come true. His brothers do end up needing him and bowing down to him. And through this story of redemption, we witness Joseph’s unwavering faith and loyalty to God, the repentance of brothers who have committed a horrendous act, the reuniting of a father who deeply loved his son, and Joseph’s profound forgiveness for all the evil done to him.

Your Redemption Story

Your story of redemption will look different than Joseph’s story … or mine! But in it, is the power to encourage others and point them to the Redeemer — to Jesus. Maybe you have been afraid to share your story. Or, maybe you aren’t sure where to do so. But, friend, do not fear. God will use it for good. Whether He gives you one person, a group, or thousands, every life matters. And when you share your God story, you are within His will and that is the most wonderful place to be!

All the Series’ Details! Satan Thought He Had Me: Stories of Redemption That Will Give You Hope!

Join us for this bi-monthly series where women tell their stories of redemption. Satan thought he had them. He thought he’d stolen their hope or sewn enough confusion into their minds that they would walk away from Jesus. He thought he’d stolen their voices and won.

But God. He gave them wings to fly instead.

These women are not only gifted writers but are brave and courageous. They have lived to tell of God’s great love and redemption. I am honored and thankful to each of them for their willingness to share their story. And I am excited beyond measure at what God will do through their words!

If you know someone who is struggling with a difficult situation, share this blog post and series with them to show them that redemption is possible. Encourage them to use their experiences to help others and remind them that with Christ they can overcome any trial.

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See the Complete Series: Stories of Redemption

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Books With Powerful Stories of Redemption

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