As Is

I am a bargain shopper. Always have been. I love a good deal. My first direction in a store is to the clearance rack or bargain table. In my life time I have found some jaw dropping deals. Every once in awhile I find an item with an "as is" tag on it. Usually the item is defective in some way. Perhaps there is a chip, a snag, a hole, a crack, or a piece missing. Upon extreme examination and much deliberation I determine if I can repair the damaged item for good use. When an item has the "as is" tag on it, the item cannot be returned for any reason. Once I pay for my bargain, it's mine whether or not I can repair or use it. Looking at the first chapter of Ephesians I see how I once was on a bargain table. I was cracked, chipped, full of snags and holes. I had succumbed to the harshness of life and been discarded as one damaged item. Yet God in His goodness and grace picked up this human being that had no value in human eyes and saw a finished product. He paid a high price for someone of so little value. In a plan that took place long before my birth,only He knew my value. He counted the cost and sent His Son to pay for my redemption. He washed me in the blood of Christ and sealed me with His Holy Spirit. I cannot be returned to the bargain table. I am a trophy of His grace. He didn't purchase me only to realize later I should just be thrown in the junk closet. He doesn't kick Himself for purchasing one that is "unfixable." He has a purpose and plan for my life and it is good. I can't see the end results of my journey but He does. God delights in me as His good deal. This overwhelms my soul!