On Sunday, in lieu of preaching a sermon, my pastor invited a member of the congregation to share his testimony. Pete’s story was that of a man enslaved to sin. If anyone needed redemption, it was Pete, a drug addict and convicted thief.
Since hearing his testimony, a song has been on my heart, and these words have been on my mind:
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…
Psalm 107:2 KJV
Pete described his life as that of a cartoon character with good and bad voices in his ear. He chose to listen to the voice of the devil because alcohol, drugs, and “fast money” were too tempting.
The world had such a powerful grip on Pete that he resisted God for years. God continued to make His presence known through all his struggles. Pete recalled watching the movie The Passion of Christ the last time he got high. When he finally had enough, he surrendered his life to God.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.
I found Jesus in a Sunday school class when I was just a child, about nine or ten years old. I don’t remember the details of the gospel lesson that day, just the feeling of joy and peace.
The hardest years of my life followed my decision to give my heart to Jesus. My parents divorced. We were on welfare. We moved several times. Those years would have been much more difficult without the presence of my Savior and friend. God knew I needed Him.
As a young adult, I didn’t follow God faithfully. I yielded to the temptations of my flesh. I didn’t go to church for many years. Just as God pursued Pete for years, He didn’t let me go. He used a community tragedy to bring me back to Him.
I am redeemed. Jesus set me free.
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Redeemed, Big Daddy Weave:
All my life I have been
Called unworthy
Named by the voice of my shame
And regret
But when I hear You whisper
Child lift up your head
I remember oh God
You’re not done with me yet
I am redeemed, You set me free
So I’ll shake off these heavy chains
And wipe away every stain
Cause I’m not who I used to be
Innermost Being 