Colossians
1:12-14 KJV: Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (able) to
be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us
from the power of darkness and hath translated
us into the kingdom of His dear Son: In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
I
would like to share the devotion from Larry Huggins, The Blood Speaks. What
impressed me? Larry: The word redemption could also be translated
“deliverance.” In whom we have deliverance . . . Deliverance from what? From darkness, from sin from the Devil. The Knox translation says it this way; “In
the Son of God, in His blood, we find redemption
that sets us free from our sins.”
Larry:
You see, we were translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s
dear Son by the blood of Jesus Christ. (Col.1:13) We were translated
out of darkness into light by the
blood because the light was in the
blood. The life was in the blood. By
the blood of Jesus we have redemption,
even the forgiveness of sins.
Here is Larry’s story about the
hitchhiker . . .
Late one rainy night, Judi and I
picked up a hitchhiker. His long,
stringy hair was soaking wet; but more than that, there was an evil presence
about him. Ordinarily, when Judi is with
me, I don’t stop for hitchhiker; but I was really impressed to help him that
night.
When he got into the car, it was as
if the Devil himself had come in. To
mask (cover) my nervousness, I casually asked the stranger how he was doing.
“How am I doing?” he retorted
(answer back). “I’ll tell you how I’m
doing. I ain’t doing good at all. I’m an addict. I just got out of jail. Those cops didn’t give me no medication and I
had to lick heroine ‘cold turkey.’ I was
sick the whole time. My so-called
friends had me busted. I owe my lawyer a
thousand dollars, and I’ll tell you how I’m doing. I ain’t doing well at
all. I’m doing bad! I want some dope, and I’m looking to kill the
person who had me busted!”
I swallowed the lump in my throat
and bravely said, “I know someone who can help you.” Desperately, the hitchhiker seized upon that
bit of hope. “I need someone to help me
before I do something terrible.”
I stopped my car on a dark, deserted
side street. It was raining hard, and it
was dark and gloomy. “Take my hand,” I
said, “and pray with me.”
I led that desperate man in the
sinner’s prayer. He gripped my hand
very hard and began to cry. He begged
God for mercy, “Oh, please help me, God.
I promise I’ll try and do right.
Please, God, please . . .” he pleaded.
I interrupted and said, “Don’t make
promises. Just love Him.” He got it! “Oh, Jesus,” he said, “I love you
so much! Thank You, Lord, for saving
me.”
Judi can testify to the truth of
what happened next. Upon my honor, as
the man prayed, his skin began to shine with a heavenly glory. It became brighter and brighter—so bright you
could have read a newspaper by it. That hitchhiker was filled with light and
life of God. He was translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of
light, right before our eyes! He
looked like Jesus. One instant he was a
wretch (miserable); the next, a son (child) of God, surrounded with a heavenly
light.
Later, he said, “You know, a few
minutes ago, I was so full of hate, I wanted to kill someone. Now, I don’t want to kill anyone—I love
everyone.” (End of story)
Dorothy: Oh, have you ever read a
story like this? A light and a life and
the blood of Jesus shone with heavenly glory inside that hitchhiker so bright
that you could read a newspaper by it.
Wow! It is the first time I really understood what translated meant from
kingdom of darkness translated into the kingdom of light. In Jesus we have the
redemption, the deliverance through His blood.
Praise His glorious name!
Song: My Heart is Stirred
My
heart is stirred whenever I think of Jesus
That
blessed Name which sets the captive free;
The
only Name through which I find salvation
No
name on earth has meant so much to me.
(Song Collection: Author,
unknown)
May
the Lord bless you today!
Dorothy
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