Bible Gems

April 22

"Ye shall find a colt tied . . . the Lord hath need of him."
(Mark 11:2-3)

"The eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee."
(1 Corinthians 12:21)

It was only a colt - the foal of an unclean donkey - but it was brought to Jesus because the Lord had need of him, and it was used by Christ.  The colt was young, unbroken, and even children who have been redeemed can be used by the Lord; the Lord has need of them.  And old people, weak people, even people in wheelchairs can be used by the Lord  (I'm one of those!).    (R. Sheldrake)

N.J. Hiebert # 3682

April 23

"In whom (Him) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."  (Ephesians 1:7)

A missionary in West Africa was trying to convey the meaning of the word redeem in the Bambara language.  So he asked his African assistant to express it in his native tongue.  "We say," the assistant replied, "That God took our heads out."  But how does that explain redemption?" the perplexed missionary asked.

The man told him that many years ago some of his ancestors had been captured by slave-traders, chained together, and driven to the seacoast.  Each prisoner had a heavy iron collar around his neck.  As the slaves passed through a village, a chief might notice a friend of his among the captives and offer to pay the slave-traders in gold, ivory, silver, or brass.  The prisoner would be redeemed by the payment.  His head then would be taken out of his iron collar.

What an unusual and graphic illustration of the word redeem!  Ephesians 1:7 states. "In whom (Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."  Jesus died on the cross to purchase our freedom from the bondage of sin.

Have you put your trust in Jesus as your Redeemer?  Let Him take your head our of the enslaving collar of sin and set you free.  (VCG)

Redeemed - how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy -
His child, and forever I am.
(Crosby)
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Christ was lifted up on the cross that we might be lifted out of our sin.
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N.J. Hiebert # 3683

"Our Daily Bread" RBC Ministries, copyright 1999 - Grand Rapids, MI.  Reprinted permission