God's Exchange Policy -- Isaiah 61:1-3, 7

Last week I had an unpleasant experience of exchanging a product that did not work. I had to return it to a members-only store. Well, they don't exchange products; they give refunds on their "cash cards." I had bought the item with a coupon that had expired a few days after the purchase. So I was refunded the regular price. I explained that I had used a coupon and the cashier made the correction. Then I had to go to the other side of the store, find a new product, and check out again while explaining that the cash card was for a lesser amount because of the coupon, but I wanted that sale price again.

Here's the problem: In between the time of that purchase and my return, my membership card had expired. I did not want to renew my membership that day; I just wanted to exchange a faulty product. But they don't make exchanges so this was going to be a new purchase. I could not use the gift card without my membership card. (That's not what it says on the store website.) They brought a manager into the situation. We finally worked it out and I said thank you and was leaving. But before I left he made it quite clear that they don't usually do what he had done for me and they would NOT do it again.

If only he would have stopped before that last sentence. So basically he was doing me a favor by giving me a replacement that hopefully worked. I drew a deep breath and made my exit. I kept thinking about joy.

"I am not going to get upset. I am not going to let that man steal my joy. Oh, like he did me a favor. I'm not sure if I'm going to renew my membership there. He's got a lot of nerve. Calm down, Denise; it's no big deal. Relax."

God's exchange is such a contrast:

FOR OUR	GOD GIVES
Poverty	Good news (He has the solution)
Broken hearts	Healing
Captivity	Liberty
Spiritual incarceration	Open doors to freedom
Mourning	Comfort and consolation
Ashes of self-hate and humiliation	Beauty
Mourning	Oil of joy
Heaviness	Praise
Shame	Double honor
Confusion	Good inheritance and everlasting joy

As read in Isaiah 61:1-3, 7

¹ “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
      Because the LORD has anointed Me
      To preach good tidings to the poor;
      He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
      To proclaim liberty to the captives,
      And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

 ² To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,
      And the day of vengeance of our God;
      To comfort all who mourn,
 ³ To console those who mourn in Zion,
      To give them beauty for ashes,
      The oil of joy for mourning,
      The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
      That they may be called trees of righteousness,
      The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

 ⁷  Instead of your shame you shall have double honor,
      And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion.
      Therefore in their land they shall possess double;
      Everlasting joy shall be theirs.

Through Jesus, God exchanges all of our faults and defects without the attitude. To become a member, all you have to do is trust Him with your life. It is well worth it. He paid the price. Amen!