Psalm 130:7 (NIV)
Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.

Lately I’ve been burning the midnight oil at work. There are several projects that demand my time and have required some extra hours away from my family. Coming home late from work is no fun, the kids are already asleep and I feel like I’ve missed the whole evening with them. I’ve been feeling discouraged about the amount of time I’ve spent away from them. Fortunately for me (and my family) there’s a way of reclaiming that extra time spent at work; it’s called “comp days.”

Here’s how it works; when work requirements cause you to put in extra hours you can take time off once a project is finished or when you return from a business trip. We fill out our vacation form and simply write the words, “Comp Day” in the blank and it won’t count against your vacation time. So if our work requires us to be out of town and away from our families it’s okay because you can always get the time back with comp days.

Our salvation in Jesus is like that. Outside of Him our situation would be a discouraging mess. The weight and penalty of our sin had rendered our lives a hopeless waste. The good news is that when we place our trust in Jesus He gives us a new identity and new life and we have hope all because of what He did for us at the cross. I’m so glad that Jesus died for my redemption and I look forward to the day when we’ll reap the full benefit of our salvation when He returns. Knowing this makes me want to serve Him now.

1 Corinthians 6:20 (NIV)
You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.