When God Goes Shopping

For Father's Day, my wife got me a shirt that has the words, "bought with a price" written in Biblical Greek on it. I've been attempting to learn Greek, so it was an appropriate gift. My neighbor, who is Greek read the shirt. I asked her if she knew what it meant. She was having a difficult time trying to put into English what the words meant in Greek. She finally made an attempt, "something like shopping." Funny that we were heading into the grocery store as we were having this discussion.

The words in koine Greek are ἠγοράσθητε γὰρ τιμῆς (ēgorasthēte gar timēs) in case you are interested. But our conversation on the way to the supermarket got me to thinking. What a way to look at this act of God, I thought to myself. God went shopping and he bought us. The scripture says that he chose us, sought us out, not the other way around. You could say, the patron bought the bagel of his choice, the bagel didn't choose the patron. So, God, in a sense, went shopping and he purchased us - at the very high cost of his Son's blood. 

This speaks to his great commitment and to his unfathomable wisdom and ways. It speaks to his love for us and to his holiness, righteousness, and justice. He didn't send an angel; he didn't send a messenger or another Moses. He sent his Son - his unique, only begotten, no-one-like-him, Son. God went shopping for a people to call his own and paid the full price, the highest currency possible: divine blood.

The next time you feel unworthy, uncared for, or unwanted, remember this: you were sought out and purchased by God himself. The God of the universe intentionally paid the highest price for you. And the good news is, there is no return policy on your soul! This is for keeps. You are no longer called forsaken, deserted, or desolate. And the One who "shopped" for you is fully satisfied with his purchase and has no intent of letting you go.

So, be encouraged those of you who have received Christ. You are his portion and, he is yours.