But today, I just need to get some thoughts out.
The Russian adoption ban is moving rapidly through the courts. It is expected to pass very soon.
And my heart is breaking in two.
There is a ransom that must be paid for freedom. Slaves must pay to earn their freedom. Taxes must be paid to stay out of jail. My GoogleReader is full of adoption blogs from families who are fundraising to bring their children home. They are sacrificing the ordinary American comforts to pay the way for their children to come home. There is a ransom for freedom, a ransom for these children.
But these thoughts on ransom bring me to one ransom that forever changed the world.
2,000 years ago, a man was spit on, rejected, he poured blood from his body to cover the sins of the world. Why?
That we might be FREE, that we might be ushered into the kingdom of God, ADOPTED as sons and daughters. Please read these words from Isaiah 53 and let the sacrifice sink into your soul.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
(H)smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 (I)But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
(J)and with his wounds we are healed.
6 (K)All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
(L)and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
(H)smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 (I)But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
(J)and with his wounds we are healed.
6 (K)All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
(L)and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
(M)yet he opened not his mouth;
(N)like a (O)lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, (P)who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked
(Q)and with a rich man in his death,
although (R)he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
(M)yet he opened not his mouth;
(N)like a (O)lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, (P)who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked
(Q)and with a rich man in his death,
although (R)he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet (S)it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;[g]
(T)when his soul makes[h] an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
(U)the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see[i] and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall (V)the righteous one, my servant,
(W)make many to be accounted righteous,
(X)and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 (Y)Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,[j]
(Z)and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,[k]
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
(AA)yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
he has put him to grief;[g]
(T)when his soul makes[h] an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
(U)the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see[i] and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall (V)the righteous one, my servant,
(W)make many to be accounted righteous,
(X)and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 (Y)Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,[j]
(Z)and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,[k]
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
(AA)yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Friends, by His wounds we are healed! By the crushing of His bones came the crushing of the chains around our ankles, the destruction of sin's hold on our hearts. AMEN.
At times, my dreams of adopting come from selfish motives- I want to hold a precious child, I want to be a mom. But today, my heart breaks with a Godly sorrow, and a righteous anger. Children are in bondage, Russian orphans are being locked up by a president's signature. This should not be.
Today, I long for the coming years to go quickly, that Spencer and I can usher these precious children into our home. That we can pay the ransom for them to be free from the oppression of being an orphan. Tears rush down my face as I think of the many children I have tenderly hugged, the little ears I have whispered promises of Christ's love to. Let us not forget the least of these. They need us to come and pay their ransom. God has done it for us, why should we not do the same for them.
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