There is a rewarding feeling that comes with making a great exchange. Whether it was an exchange of trading cards when you were a kid where you had duplicates that you could trade for a more rare card, or trading in your old car and getting a good deal on a nice new one now that you’re an adult, in every case, when you are able to let go of something that you no longer want and get something that you really do want in its place, it creates a moment of bliss.
Making a good trade may be easy enough with some of your valuable possessions, but what about those things that nobody wants? What about those things that weigh you down and continually feel like they hold you back? What about your hurts, scars, and the pains of life? How on earth could you ever give them away, let alone get a good trade on them?
The good news is that you can let those things go and get an awesome trade for them! Through Jesus’ sacrifice, the Father offers a great exchange that transforms your life.
The Power of the Cross
The cross is where the Great Exchange was made possible. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus took your sin and shame, offering His righteousness and joy in return. He also took your pain for His peace. This exchange is not just a transaction; it’s a gift of love that changes everything.
There is Good News!
Not only can you let those things go, but you can get an awesome trade for them! Through the cross, God the Father presented a great exchange. He gave us the opportunity to exchange our sinfulness for His righteousness. The Father is ready to exchange our pain for His joy. He will take our sickness and give us His healing, our captivity for His freedom. He will exchange our weakness for His strength. God the Father offers us His peace in exchange for our troubles. He will even take the things that we have destroyed in our lives by our own hands and trade them for His restoration and fullness of life. It is without question the best trade we could ever make. Isaiah 53:5 tells us, “By His wounds we are healed,” showing that Jesus’ sacrifice covers every hurt and broken place in our lives.
The Great Exchange
Will you believe? Every aspect of this great exchange is made available to us by faith. There’s no cap on how many hurts you can give to Him or how much joy He will give to you. You won’t find small print that says that if it was something that you did wrong that brought the pain on yourself, that you are disqualified. There is not even a waiting period that requires you to endure to a certain point or wait until you get to heaven to cash in on His trade. ALL of His gifts are available to you RIGHT NOW if you will receive it in faith. The question to you today is, “Will you believe?” Faith is simply trusting that the Father’s love is big enough to take your pain and give you His promises in return.
This is Your Moment
Remember the sacrifice that Jesus made on your behalf. It was out of His amazing, abundant love for you. If He would not hold back His very life, why would He hold back on the joy, peace, freedom, and healing now, the very things that He exchanged His life for? Now is your time to bring to the Father all your mistakes, all your failure, all your pain, all your illness, all your deepest hurts, and allow the revelation of His love, salvation, healing, restoration, peace, and joy to wash over you. His death already paid the price. Just believe and receive your restoration today by faith. Make the great exchange! When guilt from past mistakes haunts you, trust Him to trade it for His forgiveness, as 1 John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Living in the Great Exchange
How do you live in this Great Exchange? Keep trusting the Father every day. When old hurts resurface, give them to Him again. Read His Word to remind yourself of His promises. Talk to Him about your needs, and make it a point to choose to trust Him each day. This ongoing exchange keeps your heart free and full of His life. When fear creeps in, exchange it for His perfect love that casts out fear, as 1 John 4:18 says. The Great Exchange is not a one-time event; it’s a way of life that brings continual freedom.
Embracing the Great Exchange Daily
To embrace the Great Exchange daily, start by thanking the Father for Jesus’ sacrifice. Let go of what weighs you down and receive His gifts. When weakness hits, claim His strength. When sorrow comes, take His joy. This daily trade keeps you walking in His abundance.